The U.S President Joe Biden announced Thursday that all workers hired by the United States federal government are required either to prove that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or to submit to a series of vigorous safety protocols. 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.”

 “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. 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."

Prior to Biden making the announcement, the White House released a factsheet detailing the measures, saying that all four million federal employees and on-site contractors "will be asked to attest to their vaccination status." Meanwhile, the U.S. president also called on states, territories, and local governments to offer 100 U.S. dollars to every unvaccinated American who wants to get their shots.

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