President Joe Biden will insist that all foreign travelers entering the U.S. are fully vaccinated by mid-January.
The broad mandate targets government officials and emergency responders, as well as truck drivers.
In August, the White House had already announced the imposition. This aligns the rules of essential travelers with the U.S.’s reopening of its borders to fully-vaccinated citizens. Ferry passengers will need to have their entire vaccinations up-to-date.
These rule changes will not apply to legal land crossings into Canada, although tens of thousands of illegal border crossers have freely entered the country since the Biden administration took office.
These rules apply to non-U.S. citizens, as well as permanent residents and American citizens who are entering the U.S. without regard to their vaccination status. The Biden administration will put additional restrictions on their entry.
Norita Taylor, the spokesperson for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association trucking group, criticized the vaccination requirement. She said that it was an example of how government mandates can make experienced owner-operators or independent truckers unemployed.
This latest deadline is passed the point at which the Biden administration hopes to see large businesses require employees to be tested or vaccinated weekly in accordance with OSHA regulations. The litigation has delayed the rule, but the White House encouraged businesses to adopt their mandates without regard to the federal requirement in order to boost vaccination.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47 million Americans are still not vaccinated.
