Fox Corp.’s chief human resources officer, Kevin Lord, told staffers Tuesday that the company had hit a 90% vaccination rate among full-time employees and will start giving daily COVID tests to those who are not vaccinated, prompting a happy response from the White House.
A White House spokesperson told CNN Tuesday night, “Today’s news from Fox News follows a trend we’re seeing across the country: vaccination and testing requirements work. We are glad they have stepped up to protect their workforce and strengthen the economy, and we encourage them convey to their audience that these types of practices will protect their employees, their communities, and the economy…”
Of course, the memo referred to all of Fox Corp, which includes Fox News, a network on which some hosts outwardly encourage vaccination and others are more cautious, telling viewers to make that choice on their own if they want to and that skepticism is okay. Fox News’ coverage of the vaccine — as well as other safety measures, like lockdowns and masking — has received significant criticism.
Last week, President Joe Biden announced companies with more than 100 employees are required to make sure all staffers are vaccinated or test the unvaccinated workers weekly. Fox’s daily testing, then, is even more stringent than what the administration called for.
Fox News staffers were required to upload the proof of their vaccination status by mid-August.