President Biden will detail several new initiatives on Thursday to get more Americans vaccinated and slow the spread of the Delta variant.
Why it matters: The plan outlines aggressive next steps from the federal government as COVID-19 cases surge across the country due to the contagious Delta variant and as demand for vaccines has tapered off.
Driving the news: The five initiatives Biden will outline in his speech include:
- Requiring federal workers and contractors to declare their vaccination status, and those not fully vaccinated will be required to wear face masks at work;
- Directing the Department of Defense to look into adding COVID-19 vaccination to the list of mandatory inoculations for people in the military;
- Expanding paid leave for families to get vaccinated by reimbursing small-and-medium sized businesses who allow their employees and their families to get paid time off for vaccinations;
- Calling on states, territories, and local governments to offer $100 to newly vaccinated individuals, as an additional vaccine incentive;
- Increasing vaccination rates among teens by calling on pharmacies to hold pop-up vaccination clinics at schools and colleges.
