US businesses face Jan 4 deadline to get workers vaccinated

WASHINGTON: Strict rules intended to push tens of millions of American workers into receiving vaccines against Covid-19 will come into effect on January 4 of next year, President Joe Biden's administration announced Thursday.

The mandates targeting businesses with more than 100 employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors represent the most aggressive steps Washington has taken thus far against the virus and its Delta variant, which has hobbled the country's economic recovery in recent months.

Biden announced the mandate in September amid growing concern over the country's flagging vaccination rate, leaving federal agencies to finalize the rules.