Biden vaccine mandate for federal workers does not apply to USPS: spokesman

President Joe Biden's executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all executive branch employees does not apply to the U.S. Postal Service, according to a USPS spokesperson.

"The COVID-19 vaccination requirements included in the White House executive order issued on September 9, 2021, for federal employees do not apply to the Postal Service," a USPS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Friday.

"Regarding other vaccination rules expected to be issued by the federal government, the Postal Service has no comment until those rules are issued and we have had a chance to review them," he continued.

On Thursday, Biden signed an executive order requiring all executive branch employees and federal government contractors to get vaccinated, without an alternate option to take COVID-19 tests.

"It is essential that Federal employees take all available steps to protect themselves and avoid spreading COVID-19 to their co-workers and members of the public," the executive order reads. "The CDC has found that the best way to do so is to be vaccinated."

The USPS is an independent agency of the executive branch, as it replaced the Cabinet-level U.S. Post Office Department in 1971, according to its website. Members of the nine-person Board of Governors, who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, choose the head of USPS.

There are 644,000 USPS employees.

In July, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) released a statement opposing government-mandated vaccines.

"Maintaining the health and safety of our members is of paramount importance. While the APWU leadership continues to encourage postal workers to voluntarily get vaccinated, it is not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccinations for the employees we represent," the statement reads.

"Issues related to vaccinations and testing for COVID-19 in the workplace must be negotiated with the APWU. At this time the APWU opposes the mandating of COVID-19 vaccinations in relation to U.S. postal workers."