Judge Julia Smith Gibbons wrote the prevailing decision for the court that reinstated the vaccine mandate on Friday
A federal appeals court panel on Friday allowed President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger private companies with more than 100 employees to move ahead.
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a decision by a federal judge in a separate court that had paused the mandate nationwide.
The rule from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was to take effect on January 4.
In a swift response, 27 businesses filed an appeal to the Supreme Court to block the mandate late Friday. They argued the OSHA rule would ‘harm’ thousands of businesses across industries.
The vaccine requirement would apply to companies with 100 or more employees and would cover about 84 million workers.
Employees who are not fully vaccinated would have to wear masks and be subject to weekly tests. There would be exceptions for those who work outdoors or only at home.
With Friday’s ruling, it’s not clear when the…
