米デルタ航空、ワクチン未接種の従業員から月２万円余を徴収へ　デルタ株対策で

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米デルタ航空は２５日、新型コロナウイルスワクチンを接種していない従業員から毎月２００ドル（約２万２０００円）を徴収する方針を明らかにした。徴収は１１月から開始し、ワクチン未接種の従業員が感染した場合の治療費に充当するとしている。（写真は資料写真）
　エド・バスティアン最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は従業員向けメッセージで、「この追加徴収金は、ワクチンを接種しない決定が当社にもたらす財政リスクに対処するために必要だ」と説明した。
　デルタ航空によると、全従業員の７５％が接種を終えたものの、感染力の強い変異株「デルタ株」の出現で同社は新たな課題に直面しているという。
　バスティアン氏は「デルタ株」の呼称を使わず、「変異株Ｂ．１．６１７．２の感染が拡大して以降、ここ数週間に新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ－１９）で入院したデルタ従業員の全員が接種を完了していなかった」と述べた。入院費用は１人につき平均５万ドル（約５５０万円）かかったという。
　「この変異株は感染力が強いため、より多くの従業員に接種を受けてもらい、（接種率を）できる限り１００％に近づける必要がある」と同氏は述べている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/08/27-12:14）

Delta Air Lines in November will start charging unvaccinated workers $200 each month to cover the cost of care should they contract Covid-19, CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday.
This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company, he said in a memo to employees.
It was the latest move by a major American company to encourage vaccinations, some of which have gone as far as mandating the shots.
While the air carrier said 75 percent of its workforce has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, the new, more infectious variant -- which Bastian refrained from referring to by its more common name Delta -- is creating new issues for the company.
In recent weeks since the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant, all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with Covid were not fully vaccinated, he said.
The average cost for hospitalization was $50,000 per-person, Bastian added.
While we can be proud of our 75 percent vaccination rate, the aggressiveness of the variant means we need to get many more of our people vaccinated, and as close to 100 percent as possible.
He pointed to this week's announcement that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had received full approval from US regulators as proof the shots are safe and effective.
In addition to the monthly fee, unvaccinated workers immediately will be required to wear masks, and next month will be subject to weekly testing.
After September 30, pay protections will be provided only to fully vaccinated workers should they fall ill with a breakthrough case of Covid-19, he said.