(Trends Wide) — The trade group representing consumer brands including Coca-Cola, Kellogg and Campbell Soup, sent a letter to US President Joe Biden on Monday with a long list of questions about his new vaccination mandate. the covid-19.
In the letter, the CEO of the Association of Consumer Brands, Geoff Freeman, asked for “immediate clarity” on the new Action Plan Against Covid-19 of the United States Government.
That plan, which was unveiled last week, caught some in the corporate world by surprise because it includes an emergency rule from the Department of Labor that requires all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their entire workforce is vaccinated or test negative for the new coronavirus regularly. Biden officials have said the companies could face penalties of up to $ 14,000 per violation.
The Consumer Brands Association – representing the $ 2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer products industry and employing 2.1 million workers – urged federal agencies to “act quickly , anticipate challenges, respond quickly to questions “and partner with companies to implement the new plan.
“The Association of Consumer Brands and our member companies are willing to partner with you to get Americans vaccinated,” Freeman wrote.
Some of the questions from the consumer sector about Biden’s covid-19 plan
The letter to Biden included a “small sample” of questions that have arisen among business leaders, including:
- What is considered documentation to prove vaccination and how will booster shots be considered in compliance?
- Will the requirements apply only to vaccines fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA?
- Does the Government plan to centralize the monitoring of vaccination?
- What are the consequences of falsifying vaccination status or test results?
- What is considered adequate documentation for a negative test result?
- In case employees decide not to get vaccinated, is the company or employee responsible for obtaining and paying for the tests?
- When will the requirements be formally published?
- Do the new federal requirements include religious beliefs and disabilities exemptions?
Constant worry
The questions underscore the uncertainty created by Biden’s plan and indicate the business community’s frustration with the federal government’s response throughout the pandemic.
In an interview on Friday, Betsy Booren, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Association of Consumer Brands, told Trends Wide Business that the industry was surprised by Biden’s announcement and would have liked to see more details on the initial launch.
“But that is a concern that I have had throughout this crisis, regardless of the government in office,” said Booren. “Whether it’s the Trump administration or the Biden administration, getting clarity on these issues has been our concern.”
