joe biden
U.S. President Joe Biden.
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  • Biden held up Fox News as an example of a corporation that has implemented a strict COVID-19 policy.
  • Biden will require employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines or weekly testing.
  • The Fox Corporation requires employees to submit their vaccination status and stayed masked if unvaccinated.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

President Joe Biden held up Fox News as an example of a corporation that has already implemented the kind of COVID-19 vaccination and testing policy the administration is preparing to mandate nationwide.

Biden announced on Thursday that the department of labor will issue an emergency rule requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccination or weekly testing for their employees.

"Some of the biggest companies are already requiring this: United Airlines, Disney, Tyson Food, and even Fox News," Biden said during an address from the White House on Thursday evening.

Fox's COVID-19 policy is not quite as far-reaching as the administration's forthcoming rule. The Fox Corporation requires all of its employees to submit their vaccination status to the company and all unvaccinated employees must wear a mask and social distance at all times while working on-site. Certain "essential" employees have to undergo regular testing.

When reached for comment, a Fox News spokesperson pointed to an August 17 memo from Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott detailing the company's updated policy, amid the surge in delta variant cases.

Biden also announced on Thursday that he signed executive orders requiring vaccination for all federal workers, federal contractors, and all health care workers in hospitals and other facilities that accept Medicare or Medicaid funding.

Fox News's right-wing hosts have been quick to condemn Biden's new vaccination policies. Immediately after Biden finished his speech on Thursday, Fox News opinion host Jesse Watters called the president "bitter" and "upset" and said he's "taking that anger out" on unvaccinated Americans. Many Fox News hosts have condemned vaccine mandates and passports.

The occupational safety and health administration (OSHA), which is under the department of labor, is drafting the new rule, according to the White House.

Biden has previously urged corporations to mandate vaccinations for their employees following the FDA's full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in August.

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