Biden pushes cash reward to get vaccinated, new rules for federal workers
(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden on Thursday urged local governments to pay people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and set new rules requiring federal workers to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing, mask mandates and travel restrictions.
 US President Joe Biden. (Photo: Yahoo news) |
The measures are Biden's latest attempt to spur reluctant Americans to get vaccinated as the Delta variant of the coronavirus surges nationwide, infecting unvaccinated people in particular.
The United States lags other developed countries in vaccination rates, despite having plenty of free vaccines on hand. White House efforts to urge the hesitant to get vaccinated have hit a wall of anti-vaccine sentiment, misinformation, and political division.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly half of the US population of 330 million are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile state, local and US territorial governments will be able to dip into 350 billion USD in coronavirus aid to provide 100 USD payments for every newly vaccinated American to boost COVID-19 inoculation rates, the US Treasury Department said.