Starting Nov. 1, Delta Air Lines employees enrolled in the company's healthcare plan will be subject to a $200 monthly surcharge if they choose to remain unvaccinated.
According to a memo released by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, the company has reached a 75% vaccination rate for employees.
"Today I’m pleased to announce that we’ve reached the milestone of 75% of our people vaccinated, which puts us one step closer to getting back to what we do best – connecting the world and running the best airline on the planet," Bastian wrote in the memo. "I want to personally thank all of you who have taken the time to receive a vaccination – your actions are making a real difference."
He then announced policy changes that Delta would be implementing in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, including a $200 monthly surcharge for employees that utilize the company's healthcare plan and chose to remain unvaccinated. According to Bastian, this monthly surcharge is to offset the costs the company has experienced from COVID-19 related hospital costs incurred almost exclusively from unvaccinated employees.
"The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person," Bastian wrote in the memo. "This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our 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."
Delta is also now requiring mask use in all indoor Delta settings for unvaccinated employees until community case rates stabilize.
Starting Sept. 12, employees who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to take a weekly COVID test. Employees who test positive will be required to isolate and stay home from work.
Bastian also pointed out that the Pfizer vaccine is now fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for employees that were waiting for FDA approval before taking the vaccine.
"Protecting yourself, your colleagues, your loved ones and your community is fundamental to the shared values that have driven our success for nearly a century. Vaccinations are the safest, most effective and most powerful tool we have to achieve our goals, live up to our values and move forward," Bastian said in the memo.
Delta is not alone in imposing more robust COVID-19 measures. NPR News reported that American Airlines will require all employees to be vaccinated by Sept. 27 or face termination.