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 The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is weighing
whether to lift an order issued Saturday that froze the rule during
litigation.
The government has been sued by private employers, religious
organizations and states including Texas for allegedly exceeding its
authority to issue the vaccine rule.
Businesses must begin crafting policies and collecting employee
health information to prepare to implement the rule by the Jan. 4
deadline, while also dealing with labor shortages and logistics
problems.
"These burdens start now," the opponents said in the court filing.
"They cannot recover that lost time and effort if the rule is
eventually enjoined."
The Biden Administration told the 5th U.S. Circuit Court on Monday
that if it did not lift the stay on the rule, dozens or even
hundreds of workers could die daily.
The opponents were also dismissive of the government's request that
the court wait until next week, when other cases filed in federal
appeals courts around the country will be grouped in one court.
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 The rule unveiled last week was
issued by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and mandates that
businesses with at least 100 employees require
staff get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be
tested weekly and wear a mask.
President Joe Biden said in September, when
COVID-19 cases were surging, that patience was
wearing thin with unvaccinated Americans and he
unveiled measures to boost inoculations.
Around two dozen states and many large companies
have imposed their own vaccination requirements
for employees. Around 80% of American adults
have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware;
Editing by Stephen Coates)
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