The Biden administration told a federal court Monday that a stay of its vaccinate-or-test requirement for private employers "would likely cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day."

Responding to a temporary stay imposed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday, the administration argued that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was well within its authority to issue the requirements requiring employees at large businesses to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or tested weekly.

The states, businesses and religious groups that requested the stay aren't likely to succeed given earlier court rulings, federal law and "the considerable evidence that OSHA analyzed and discussed when issuing" the requirement, attorneys for OSHA and the Labor Department told the court.

"Nor have petitioners shown that their claimed injuries outweigh the harm of staying a Standard that will save thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations," the filing added.

The administration also argued there aren't grounds for "emergency" relief because the effects of the mandate won't be in place for another month.