Biden Reportedly Slated To Impose Stricter Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers, Contractors

President Joe Biden plans to announce a new vaccine mandate for federal workers during his speech Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The White House mentioned Biden’s upcoming speech earlier in the week, with an official saying that Biden will lay out a “six-pronged strategy” aimed at boosting vaccinations and fighting the Delta variant. While the administration has declined to offer specifics, reports note that the president will sign an executive order mandating vaccinations for federal employees and contractors.

Biden announced at the end of July that federal government employees and contractors would need to confirm their vaccination status or undergo various hurdles, such as physical distancing and testing. Biden now plans to remove the loopholes for employees resistant to getting the vaccine, according to NBC News. (RELATED: ‘The Choice Is Yours’: In Line With CDC’s Mask Guidance, Biden Gives Americans An Ultimatum On Vaccines)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Biden’s upcoming announcement would affect Americans depending “on if you’re vaccinated or not.” The New York Times also reported that the president plans to announce new vaccination mandates, although the publication did not report the executive order that Biden appears slated to sign.

Psaki alluded to more mandate requirements on MSNBC Thursday, confirming that Biden will “build on” the existing rules.

WASHINGTON, DC – AUG. 18: U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program in the East Room of the White House on Aug. 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. During his remarks, President Biden announced that he is ordering the United States Department of Health and Human Services to require nursing homes to have vaccinated staff in order for them to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. The President also announced that Americans would be able to receive a third booster shot against Covid-19. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“He’s going to build on our mandates requirements, making it so that workers in the federal government or others have to get vaccinated, we’ve seen that work,” Psaki said. (RELATED: ‘The Choice Is Yours’: In Line With CDC’s Mask Guidance, Biden Gives Americans An Ultimatum On Vaccines)

Biden also will ask schools to set up regular testing in an effort to protect children from COVID-19, according to NBC News. The president’s plan to combat COVID-19 has so far largely focused on pushing Americans to get vaccinated, but reports indicate that he will be taking a new approach during Thursday’s speech.

In addition to the vaccine mandate and the push for schools to set up testing, Biden will reportedly go into his plan for keeping children not eligible for the vaccine safe during school. He’ll also reportedly discuss bettering treatment access for individuals who get sick, according to NBC News.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed stricter guidelines at the end of July amid the variant’s rise, recommending that even vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors if living in “substantial and high transmission” areas of the country. At the same time, the CDC said it was telling all students in grades K-12 to mask up, no matter their vaccination status.