Skip to content Skip to Content

Valley workers respond to Biden’s new vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers

President Biden is ordering employers with 100 or more workers to require its employees to vaccinated or get tested weekly.

It's part of the White House's sweeping new coronavirus recovery plan and the sharpest push yet from the federal government to get more Americans vaccinated. 

The mandate includes valley businesses like the Hilton Palm Springs, which has just more than 100 people employed there.

Managing Director Aftab Dada said the majority of his employees are already vaccinated but he hopes this will encourage the select few that remain unvaccinated to change their minds. 

"This virus is deadly and we need to take every single step to kill this virus," Dada said.

He added that he wishes the president had taken this step for even smaller businesses, saying, "It's great news. I would have liked to have seen the president take a further step and make it 10 employees and greater. Why 100?"

Anthony Ontiveros works at a large corporate retailer. He said despite the FDA's approval and 200 million Americans receiving one dose or more, he still doesn't trust Covid vaccines. 

"I don't believe that I should be mandated to get a vaccine if I don't want to," Ontiveros said.

Instead, he said he'll submit to weekly Covid-19 testing to meet the mandate's requirement. "It's just a test," Ontiveros said. "I've gotten it twice before so it's just what you gotta do."

But still, he said he's nervous the mandate could shift in the future to require only vaccines with no option for testing. "I think in the end they're gonna want everyone to get vaccinated," he said.

"Would you leave your job because of that," asked News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia.

"My job is everything," Ontiveros said. "It provides for me and my family, but I don't think it's right to tell me get vaccinated or lose your job

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Jake Ingrassia

Joining News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 as a reporter, Jake is excited to be launching his broadcasting career here in the desert. Learn more about Jake here.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.