A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses, ordered by the federal government, is a step closer to being implemented. The U.S. Department of Labor says following a review, details about the mandate will be published in the Federal Register within few days. President Biden proposed in September that all companies with at least 100 employees require vaccines or weekly testing for employees. Companies had a lot of questions about how the mandate would be implemented, including how the government would track compliance. Once details are made public, it’s expected that more companies will move to institute mandates.
Separately, 18 states have sued the Biden administration over its vaccine mandate for federal contractors. Meantime, in New York City, about 9,000 municipal employees were put on unpaid leave after refusing to comply with a vaccine mandate there.
Jersey City is offering another round of COVID-19 relief grants to some of its smallest businesses, to help cover business-related costs incurred throughout the pandemic. Grants up to $50,000 are available to eligible businesses with five employees or fewer, to cover expenses like personal protective equipment, child care, or payroll assistance. Businesses are eligible if they did not already receive other assistance for those same expenses, and business owners must not exceed a certain income requirement.
A new report shows continued strong demand for warehouse space in South Jersey. New warehouses are going up in Burlington County, and developers are also moving into Camden and Gloucester counties. Find out more here.
