President Biden on Thursday announced that all civilian federal employees must be vaccinated or be forced to submit to regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and restrictions on most travel. The president also directed the Defense Department to study how and when to add the coronavirus vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for all members of the military. States and cities have been taking creative approaches, such as lotteries, to encourage people to get vaccinated. Opponents of the idea have also questioned whether paying people is the best use of funds to encourage people to get vaccinated. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City said this week that the city will begin offering $100 payments as part of an incentive plan to spur more people to get vaccinated.

Source: New York Times July 29, 2021 19:22 UTC