White House says big businesses must mandate vaccines or require testing by Jan. 4, regardless of what states like Texas say

Companies with more than 100 employees will have to ensure their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested weekly for the virus under new rules announced Thursday by the Biden administration that will affect around 80 million workers across the country.

The White House said “more vaccinations are needed to save lives, protect the economy, and accelerate the path out of the pandemic.”

Health workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid also must be fully vaccinated, which the White House said applies nationwide to more than 17 million workers at around 76,000 health care centers, including hospitals and long-term care facilities.