The Associated Press
15 hours ago
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, in Washington
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will require essential, nonresident travelers crossing U.S. land borders, such as truck drivers, government
and emergency response officials, to be fully vaccinated beginning on Jan. 22, the administration planned to announce.
A senior administration official said the requirement, which the White House previewed in October, brings the rules for essential travelers in line
with those that took effect earlier this month for leisure travelers, when the U.S. reopened its borders to fully vaccinated individuals.
Essential travelers entering by ferry will also be required to be fully vaccinated by the same date, the official said. The official spoke to The
Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement.
The rules pertain to non-U.S. nationals. American citizens and permanent residents may still enter the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status,
but face additional testing hurdles because officials believe they more easily contract and spread COVID-19 and in order to encourage them to get a
shot.
The Biden administration pushed back the requirement for essential travelers by more than two months from when it went into effect on Nov. 8 for
non-essential visitors to prevent disruptions, particularly among truck drivers who are vital to North American trade. While most cross-border traffic
was shut down in the earliest days of the pandemic, essential travelers have been able to transit unimpeded.
Even with the delay, though, Norita Taylor, spokeswoman for the trucking group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, criticized the
vaccination requirement, calling it an example of “how unnecessary government mandates can force experienced owner-operators and independent
truckers out of business.”
“These requirements are another example of how impractical regulations will send safe drivers off the road,” she said.
The latest deadline is beyond the point by which the Biden administration hopes to have large businesses require their employees to be vaccinated or
tested weekly under an emergency regulation issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. That rule is now delayed by litigation, but
the White House has encouraged businesses to implement their own mandates regardless of the federal requirement with the aim of boosting vaccination.
About 47 million adults in the U.S. remain unvaccinated, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Associated Press writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
JZ - 11-24-2021 at 09:16 AM
Let's push truckers to quit their jobs in the middle of a supply chain problem. What could go wrong?
100X - 11-24-2021 at 09:33 AM
Per the story I read:
The rules pertain to non-U.S. nationals. American citizens and permanent residents may still enter the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status,
but face additional testing hurdles as the Biden administration holds they more easily contract and spread coronavirus and in order to encourage them
to get a shot.100X - 11-24-2021 at 09:36 AM
Let's push truckers to quit their jobs in the middle of a supply chain problem. What could go wrong?
If the drivers are stupid enough to quit their jobs over objection to vaccination requirement, then the roads will be safer without those dolts
driving trucks.
The shortage of truckers is due to shippers/customers paying so little. Truckers have really chitty pay structure. Many truckers are working for
much less than minimum wage, so quit them industry after little time.
AKgringo - 11-24-2021 at 09:56 AM
Goat, are you referring to the pay for foreign truckers crossing into the US? I have known quite a few truckers in Alaska, and in California, and the
complaint I hear most is about the hours, not the pay.JZ - 11-24-2021 at 11:07 AM
Goat wants to implement a nationwide minimum wage of $15 in the middle on an inflation crisis. Again, what could go wrong?
Plus, truckers make a good amount of money today. The average "base" salary for a trucker in the US is $74K. That's before bonuses, etc.
