Newsmax instates vaccine mandate after conservative network decried the requirements

Network says employees must be vaccinated by 4 January or undergo weekly testing

Conservative news outlet Newsmax says it will implement a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for its staff.

The right-wing news network has told employees that they have to be fully vaccinated by 4 January or undergo weekly testing.

The outlet made the announcement in an email to staff, according to Mediate, and said it was bringing in the mandate because of Occupational Health and Safety Administration vaccine rules.

The White House announced the January date this week, with the OSHA mandate applying to all companies with more than 100 employees.

“To ensure that we are in compliance, we require that all vaccinated employees submit a copy of their vaccination card,” the email said, according to Mediaite.

A string of Newsmax hosts have regularly denounced vaccine mandates on air.

Just on Thursday, Steve Cortes called vaccine mandates an example of Joe Biden’s “dictatorial rule”.

“There is zero, and I mean zero, moral or ethical obligation for anyone to be compelled to get vaccinated,” said Mr Cortes on the network.

And he even branded the mandates “insane workplace discrimination.”

Last week the network was forced to distance itself from its White House reporter Emerald Robinson after she tweeted a bizarre conspiracy theory that Covid-19 vaccines contain a “bioluminescent marker” to track people.

Twitter briefly suspended Robinson for the tweet, and Newsmax CEO Elliot Jacobson said the company was “a strong proponent that Covid-19 vaccines are overarchingly safe and effective.”

The Independent has reached out to Newsmax for comment.