Biden encourages vaccine incentives, announce requirements for federal workers

Biden is stepping up efforts to get shots in arms, including calling on governments to do more to incentivize vaccination by offering $100 to those who get vaccinated.

President Joe Biden is stepping up efforts to get shots in people's arms, including calling on states, territories and local governments to do more to incentivize vaccination by offering $100 to those who get vaccinated and reimbursing small- and medium-sized businesses for offering their employees paid leave to get their family members vaccinated. He also announced that every federal government employee and onsite contractor will be asked to "attest to their vaccination status," and will require anyone not fully vaccinated to wear a mask at work regardless of where they live, social distance and get tested once or twice a week. Employees can also face restrictions on official travel. Biden was also directing the Department of Defense to look into how and when they will add COVID-19 vaccination to the list of required vaccinations for members of the military, according to a fact sheet that was released to reporters. Ahead of the president's announcement, some groups representing large numbers of federal workers -- including law enforcement and postal workers -- raised some early objections.