Delta Air Lines (Delta Air Lines) CEO Ed Bastian informed employees on Wednesday that from November 1, health insurance premiums for employees who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will increase by $200 per month on the grounds of paying high costs to employees hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection.

Delta said employees who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will also face other restrictions, including an immediate indoor mask rule and weekly COVID-19 testing starting September 12.

Bastian said in an employee memo, “The average cost of hospitalization for a Delta Air Lines employee infected with COVID-19 is $50,000, and the $200 surcharge is necessary to address the financial risks that unvaccinated employees pose to the company. “In recent weeks since the B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19 appeared, none of the Delta Air Lines employees hospitalized due to COVID-19 have completed their vaccinations.”

Delta also said that from September 30, “in accordance with state and local laws, COVID-19 pay protection will only be offered to people who have been fully vaccinated but have experienced a breakthrough in infections.”

Bastian said that about 75% of Delta's 75,000 employees have already been vaccinated against COVID-19. “The rampant delta variant means we need to get more people vaccinated and get as close to 100% as possible.”

Delta began requiring new employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 earlier this year.

The aviation industry has always been one of the industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aviation companies such as Southwest Airlines and American Airlines said that the spread of the Delta variant has had an impact on the recent recovery of the industry.