Washington, November 8 (RHC)-- The White House has announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates covering more than 100 million workers.  

Beginning on January 4, workers at private sector companies that employ at least 100 people will have to be vaccinated against COVID or be tested weekly. Unvaccinated workers will also be required to wear face coverings on the job and may have to pay for their own tests.  

A separate rule will require some 17 million U.S. healthcare workers to be vaccinated by January 4 — with no testing option.

In other news, the Biden administration has cut ties with vaccine maker Emergent Biosolutions, after it ruined millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at its factory in Baltimore, Maryland.  The company will forgo $180 million of its $628 million contract to produce vaccines for the federal government.