Joe Biden Steps Up Efforts To Fight Virus Surge Fueled By Delta Variant

"We have the tools to prevent this new wave of Covid from shutting down our businesses, our schools, our society as we saw happen last year," the veteran Democrat said.

President Joe Biden on Thursday stepped up actions to combat the spread of the surging Delta variant of the coronavirus, asking every US federal worker to either declare they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or wear masks and be tested. "We have the tools to prevent this new wave of Covid from shutting down our businesses, our schools, our society as we saw happen last year," the veteran Democrat said in a speech on his administration's new initiatives. The White House said just ahead of the address that all four million federal employees and on-site contractors "will be asked to attest to their vaccination status." Those who do not declare they are fully vaccinated will be required to wear a mask on the job regardless of location, physically distance from co-workers, and "comply with a weekly or twice weekly screening testing requirement."