more than 130,000 residents in nursing homes have sadly over the period of this virus passed away. at the same time, vaccination rates among nursing home staff significantly trail the rest of the country. studies show that highly vaccinated nursing home staff is associated with at least 30% less covid-19 cases among long-term care residents. with this announcement, i'm using the power of the federal government as a pair of healthcare costs to ensure we reduce those risks to our most vulnerable seniors. these steps are all about keeping people safe and out of harm's way. if you walk into a government office building, you should know that federal workers are doing everything possible to keep you safe. if you're a veteran seeking care at a v.a. hospital, you should not be at a greater risk walking