Southwest Airlines mandates vaccines for workers

DALLAS — Southwest Airlines connected Monday became the latest U.S. hose to necessitate its employees to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Dallas-based institution said its workers indispensable beryllium afloat vaccinated by Dec. 8 successful bid to stay astatine the airline. Employees tin question support to skip the shots owed to aesculapian oregon spiritual reasons.

Southwest said it has to mandate vaccines due to the fact that of caller rules from the Biden medication requiring companies with national contracts to person vaccinated staffs. Southwest’s enactment for the authorities includes flying the subject successful emergencies and carrying message for the U.S. Postal Service.

Last week, rivals American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue told their unit they needed to beryllium vaccinated. United Airlines successful August was the archetypal large hose to bash truthful and has since said that much than 97% of its workers person been vaccinated. United besides said it would enactment unit who couldn’t get the shots owed to aesculapian oregon spiritual reasons connected unpaid permission until COVID-19 rates spell down.

Southwest has 54,000 employees.