Several New Hampshire business owners joined Gov. Chris Sununu Monday to talk about the impact of President Joe Biden's mandate requiring businesses with over 100 employees make sure they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or produce a weekly positive test.

The order which is being considered a work rule through OSHA takes effect on Jan. 4. Unvaccinated workers will be required to wear a mask in the workplace starting Dec.5.

"Today New Hampshire small businesses joined in opposition to President Biden's vaccine mandate. The crushing impact this overreach will have on our workforce, small businesses & the livelihood of their employees is real," Gov. Chris Sununu said in a tweet.

New Hampshire has joined 11 other states in trying to stop the mandate calling it a government overreach.

“With the sweep of a pen, businesses across the country and right here in the Granite State are effectively being told by the Biden Administration they must fire their employees, many of whom are like family," Sununu said. "It is wrong. No government entity be it the president of the United States or a governor should be interfering with that choice for these organizations,” Sununu said.

Tom Boucher, CEO of Great New Hampshire Restaurants said he will lose employees who decide not to take the vaccine to companies that employ less than 100 workers.

"I'm going to lose some really,really  good people," Boucher said.

Kathy Garfield from the Keller Companies said that the test option is not realistic as appointments are impossible to get.

Sen. Maggie Hassan Thursday learned during a hearing  Thursdayfrom Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS that 60,000 test will be in delivered in 10,000 test increments over the next six weeks to New Hampshire. The tests are in response to a letter she wrote to the Biden Administration.

The new rules are suspended for the moment as a federal court said there are "grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate."  Lawyers from the Biden Administration had until 5 p.m. Monday to respond.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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