President Joe Biden To Visit Chicago On Wednesday To Promote Workplace Vaccine Mandates
CHICAGO (CBS) -- President Joe Biden will visit Chicago next week to discuss the importance of vaccine mandates for American businesses.
The White House confirmed President Biden will travel to Chicago on Wednesday, his second trip to Illinois since taking office.
Details of his visit have yet to be announced, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot said those plans are still being worked out, but she praised his leadership in the fight against COVID-19.
"The president's been very strong. I really commend his leadership on vaccines, what he's done at the federal level," she said.
Earlier this month, Biden signed an executive order requiring all employers with 100 or more workers to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week. He also has ordered vaccinations for all federal workers and contractors. The president's vaccine mandate will affect roughly 100 million Americans.
The mayor said she hopes that during his visit, Biden will talk about his administration's efforts to help other countries that are still struggling with the virus and vaccinations, saying "we won't fully be out of the woods" until vaccination rates are increased not only locally, but across the U.S. and around the world.
"We know that there are a number of countries that are way behind, because of a lack of resources, lack of access to doctors and nurses, health care, but also lack of access to the vaccine," she said.
Biden visited Illinois earlier this year when he traveled to northwest suburban Crystal Lake in July to promote his $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan, which has yet to pass Congress.