With new data that shows Delta Variants only need one second to spread new Mask Mandates from the Nations Capital to your kids classroom, to the Magic Kingdom as a war over masks shapes up in the Sunshine State. Plus, the gold standard, The American who stepped up in simone Biles Absence to grab the gold. Hear her inspiring journey to tokyo coming up. Hey, everyone, welcome to the lead, im jake tapper. Any moment now were going to hear a major announcement from President Biden who is looking to shake the nation out of its relative complacency when it comes to vaccinations. Biden is expected to announce new requirements for federal workers requiring everyone in all agencies get a Vaccine Or Show proof of regular negative covid tests. This comes as a slew of major corporations go even one step further taking away the choice from google to netflix, morgan stanley, many more, theyre all now mandating vaccines for all of their employees. The momentum moves away from the Encouragement Period of this pandemic and this more aggressive Vaccine Push comes as the risk of the highly contagious Delta Variant becomes even clearer Health Officials say. They say it did not have to be this way, but tens of millions of americans continue to refuse to get the vaccine. As Cnns Athena jones reports, nearly twothirds of all americans now live in a Covid Hot Spot with that number growing every day. Were requiring everyone who works in the building to be vaccinated. Reporter pressure is building on the unvaccinated to get vaccinated. We have an under vaccinated population thats allowing this virus to spread, and i think weve gotten to the point where you have to compel people to do the right thing. Reporter with new covid cases surging in most states, more and more businesses now instituting Vaccination Or Testing requirements to protect their staff and their customers. We have a really, really serious responsibility to our Staff Members and to our guests to make sure that it is a safe Work Rg enving Environment And Place to dine. Reporter so are schools like Duke University where students who dont get vaccinated. They will not be able to enroll in school. Theyll be suspended until they get a vaccination. Reporter the Daily Pace of vaccinations is up over 35 from last week to the highest level in three weeks. Now the virus is back and the people who werent vaccinated because they thought there was nothing to fear are now starting to get the message. Reporter still, the u. S. Is averaging more than 63,000 new infections a day, up nearly 60 over last weeks sevenday average. Louisiana where just 37 are fully vaccinated seeing the biggest jump per capita. Some hospitals there stretched thin. Our hospitals are full, our Emergency Departments are full. Reporter and with almost 70 of the Country Living in a county with high or substantial Covid Transmission where the cdc says everyone should wear masks indoors in public, washington d. C. s mayor and Baltimore County Public Schools announcing indoor Mask Mandates for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. And starting tomorrow, masks are mandatory indoors for those age 2 and older at Disney Land in California And Walt Disney World in florida. Enslaving our children. Reporter but a showdown on masks in schools in the Sunshine State looks increasingly likely with broward Countys School Board approving a Mask Mandate and miamidade Countys Board considering one, governor Ron Desantis hinting he could call a legislative session to ensure masks remain optional in schools. I think its very important that we say unequivocally no to lockdowns, no to school closures, no to restrictions, and no mandates. Reporter and when it comes to bringing back an indoor Mask Mandate right here in new york city, mayor De Blasio says hell have more to say about that on monday, adding he wants to, quote, keep the focus on The One thing that will make a difference, which is vaccination. Jay. Athena jones, thank you so much. Joining us live to discuss, dr. Peter hotez, thanks for joining us. Here in washington, d. C. , the mayor is reimplementing an indoor Mask Requirement for everyone over the age of 2, even if we are fully vaccinated. What is the risk for a room full of vaccinated people that, one, vaccinated person would have covid and then transmit it to another vaccinated person . It strikes me that it would probably be rather narrow. Yeah, certainly if youve had a room full of vaccinated people, the risk is probably relatively low. The problem is that situation doesnt happen very often. If you have a gathering of significant numbers of people, we still have a lot of unvaccinated people in the united states unfortunately, and of Course Anybody under the age of 12 by definition is not going to be vaccinated, so youre going to have a lot of virus circulating. And you know, once we can do better at vaccinating the whole country at a higher level than we are right now, i think we might be able to go back to what we had before. But remember, jake, this virus has whats known as a reproductive number of five to six. What that means if a single person gets infected, on average theyll infect five or six other people, and based on that information, what that means is we have to vaccinate about 85 of the entire population of the united states to slow or eventually halt transmission, and that because right off the top you factor out the young kids, that basically means all the adults and adolescents have to be vaccinated in the united states, and you might say, well, thats not possible. Well, of course it is. Its already getting there in vermont and massachusetts. The problem that we face, jake, is down here in the south where, you know, you look at a state like louisiana where only 17 of the adolescents are vaccinated, maybe 30 to 40 of the young adults, and now schools are going to open down here in a couple of weeks in some of the louisiana parishs. This isnt going to go well. This virus, as bad as things are right now, its about to get much worse when schools open in the south, and i think thats what were dealing with. Right, so but just in terms of d. C. , right, does a Mask Mandate make more sense than a Vaccine Mandate . I mean, if the problem is so many people are unvaccinated, would it not make more Sense And Look, i dont proposal polz, but im just reacting to mayor bowsers announcement, shes saying we all have to wear masks indoors if were vaccinated. Would a Vaccine Mandate make more sense than that . Ie deally you do both. I agree, Vaccine Mandates would be the most effective way to do this, but masks still provide an important backstop, especially with the Performance Feature against the Delta Variant that youre still seeing some asymptomatic transmission going on. So ideally, the more you could do the better. Those are our two best defenses against this virus are vaccines and masks. So i dont know what the politics are in washington, d. C. , around Vaccine Mandates. Across the country, vaccine policies usually sit at the state level. We have a lot of issues here in some of our southern states for doing that. It would be great to implement both if possible. I dont think any state has implemented a Vaccine Mandate. We are seeing a deluge of private companies now telling their employees if you want to return to work, if you want to continue to work, you have to get vaccinated. You tweeted some skepticism that this is going to work. Why . I think, you know, the antivaccine aggression is just so dominant right now, its hard to see how were going to be able to implement this easily or successfully until we do something about taking down some of the antivaccine content. And i Get It, i mean, people are employers are frustrated. Weve done everything we can to encourage people to get vaccinated in terms of provaccine messaging. I think the next and this is why we have to have mandates. I think it was the right move not to push too hard on this, at least in the beginning, but as we run out of options, this may be the only one lecft. I just think its going to be very hard to do this successfully when you have all of the antivaccine content dominating the internet right now. I think its i think we need to be looking at, you know, the center for encountering digital hate has a plan to deplatform some of the major offenders at the nongovernment tallal Level Weve got to work around the conservative News Channels and we have to work harder with the russian government, u. S. And british intelligence reports that the russian government is piling on antivaccine content as a Wedge Issue to divide our country, and what ive called on the biden administration to do is to get bring in some people from outside the Health Sector to get advice on how to take this down and create an Interagency Task Force that includes the Health And Human Services agencies, but we need help. We need help from homeland security. We need help from the commerce department, from the Justice Department and the State Department to do something about the weaponized Health Communication thats coming out of russia. And until we also do that, things are going to not things are going to be really rough now for the next few weeks and months over these mandates. Dr. Peter hotez, thanks so much. Good to see you, sir. The president is expected to officially announce these new Vaccine Requirements any moment. We will bring that to you live. Were going to squeeze in a quick break. Stay with us. At usaa, weve been called too exclusive. Because we were created for officers. But as weve evolved with the military, weve grown to serve all whove honorably served. No matter their rank, or when they were in. A marine just out of basic, or a petty officer from 73. And even his kids. And their kids. Usaa is made for all whove honorably served and their families. Are we still exclusive . Absolutely. And thats exactly why you should join. Retirement income is complicated. As your broker, ive solved it. Thats great, carl. But we need something better. Thats easily adjustable has no penalties or advisory fee. And we can monitor to see that were on track. Like schwab intelligent income. Schwab introducing schwab intelligent income. A simple, modern way to pay yourself from your portfolio. Oh, thats cool. I mean, we dont have that. Schwab. A modern approach to wealth management. Were expecting President Biden to speak at the White House any second. Hes expected to announce a new Vaccine Requirement for all federal employees. Sources tell cnn that the president feels the u. S. Has hit a Brick Wall when it comes to trying to convince the unvaccinated. Frequently he asks his top aides, quote, whats the problem . So now as cnns Jeff Zeleny reports the White House is hoping that these new requirements will serve as a model for private companies and state and local governments to enact similar rules for their employees. So please, please, please, please, if youre not vacc vaccinated. Reporter President Biden is no longer simply asking americans to get vaccinated, hes requiring them to or at least those who work for the federal government. We still have a lot of people not vaccinated. The pandemic we have now is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Reporter the president is calling on local governments to provide an Incentive Payment of 100 for every newly vaccinated american. Hes also directing the Department Of Defense to study how to add covid19 to the list of vaccinations already required of Service Members. As case loads surge across the country, the White House is taking a tougher Stand Today on Vaccine Hesitancy ordering federal employees to be vaccinated or face tougher testing, masking, and other requirements. It stops short of an allout mandate, but its a remarkable shift in the administrations fight against covid19. The president has repeatedly declined to blame or shame those who havent gotten their shot. A stance that is fading fast. If youre not vaccinated, youre not nearly as smart as i thought you were. Reporter white how the officials believe the president does not have the power to require all americans to get shots, but they say he does have that authority over a Work Force of some 2 Million people. But officials believe the president s actions can be a model for private businesses, more and more of which are already taking steps to require employees to get vaccinated. We see ourselves as a model for other companies and other organizations, and Thats Something that we dont take lightly. With the Delta Variant stubbornly rising, the White House is in a far different mindset than officials had hoped at the beginning of the summer. Let me repeat, if you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Reporter but thats no longer the case. As summer wanes and School Openings are just around the corner, the administration is suddenly facing new uncertainty about a pandemic that officials only recently believed was under control. One top biden adviser telling cnn we were winning the fight against covid but No One ever said it was over. Now thats more clear than ever. Its not over. That is exactly the message that President Biden will be conveying. This fight is not over. Thats why they are really trying to reach out to those nonvaccinated federal workers. Jake a couple things were learning now about this speech to happen any moment, it is that 100 incentive encouraging local Ask State Governments to give to people who have not gotten vaccinations. They point to a finding from the Kroger Supermarket that did it earlier this summer and they say their Vaccination Rate went up 50 to 75 . Weve seen other incentives in other states not work as well. Most important is the Department Of Defense. The president will ask the Defense Secretary Lloyd austin to study how covid19 can be added to the list of vaccinations already required of Service Members. But important to note, at least as of now, we do not believe the president will be calling on the Service Members to be included in this requirement today. Jake. All right, Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much. While we wait for President Biden to come out, lets talk about this. We should note also that the requirement hes about to introduce on federal employees to all get vaccinated, that does not apply to congress, which is a separate branch, even though its the federal government. Hes not mandating whether congress has to do that. Alice, take a listen to republican Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy pushing back against the new cdc guidance. The cdc has become a political arm of the administration who wants to control every element of our life. We will not allow the cdc to be political. Well base decisions on science and well fight for The American people. What science is he talking about it . Well, clearly he doesnt really understand not only science but the numbers here. Look, he can make this political all he wants this is a Health Care issue, and while they may want to ignore science, you cannot ignore the numbers, jake. We know what the numbers are. We see the rise in these cases going back up again, and i think the most compelling and overwhelmingly convincing argument for vaccines is that currently 97 of those in the hospital with covid are unvaccinated. Yeah. I dont know what other number they can have or what science they need to make the case more than get vaccinated because it certainly keeps you safer. It keeps others around you s safer, and it protects you from this Delta Variant, 83 of these new cases are this new variant, which is much more dangerous. I think we need to just take the politics out of this and just use good common Sense And Look at the numbers. The truth of the matter is this i dont like this Mask Mandate. Im not looking forward to putting a mask back on, but what theyre talking about is if i get infected, not that im going to get sick, but that i can spread it to somebody who is unvaccinated, whether its my 11yearold Son or somebody who is a Cancer Patient or somebody who refuses to get the shot. And on that subject, jamal, mccarthy said yesterday talking about why these Mask Requirements are not needed that 85 of congress is vaccinated, so oif 85 of congress is vaccinated and every democrat says they are vaccinated, 16 of unvaccinated, theyre all republicans, and that means theres 65 republicans who have not gotten vaccinated. Wouldnt it not make more sense to get them vaccinated so that you wouldnt have to have these Health Requirements to wear a mask in the house . It would make sense, but it seems like thats not something anybodys interested in doing, and the reality also is these 65 republicans are probably coming from places that have high covid rates. Why . Because that tends to correlate with republican communities who are more mask or more vaccine hesitant. So it just seems like these walking time bombs of republicans who are walking through the house could easily infect Someone Else. Youre talking about kids. To me it just seems like we need to create a safe zone around kids. If you see a child that you dont know, youre in public, put a mask on around the kid because you know that 10 or 11yearold or 2yearold or 3yearold like mine, theyre not vaccinated. Why dont we just mask up to protect the kids. Is the White House ready for this, kaitlyn . This is about to become you see Ron Desantis, all these other people, even people who are provaccine. They are ready for this to become a political issue, stay out of our lives, stop telling us to wear masks, et cetera. The question for these states is what are we supposed to do. The cdc has updated guidance about wearing masks in schools. Anyone in schools, there are eight states that have banned requiring masks in schools. We asked the White House, what is your plan for something on this small of scale, they said im glad i dont live there, and what are these localities going to do . Those are big decisions that these teachers and educators are going to have as theyre going back to schools. On the bigger scale of this fight, this is what the administration feels like theyre up against. And so President Biden is expected to be more aggressive towards the unvaccinated today. So far they have said were not going to put blame on these people. We dont think thats more effective. It seems like looking at the data that theyve looked at over the last week when it comes to the Delta Variant, its changed their opinion about how to approach it. We should note, its not just maga republicans who are vaccine skeptics. There are a lot of people. One of the Disinformation Dozen out there is Robert Kennedy Jr. , the antivaxxer whos been sullying his Familys Name for decades now. We have a disproportionately Unvaccinated Americans in the black community, the latino community. This is still a problem, and its not just political. Its not just political. People have different reasons for not getting vaccinated. Some people havent been able to get off work or get there or figure out how to get everything done. And some people are just genuinely skeptical of a vaccine that is an emergency authorization, has not been fully authorized by the fda. So they are concerned about that. Now, obviously when youre concerned about longterm effects, the problem is that we know that one of the longterm effects of covid is death. You wont even live to find out the longterm effects of the vaccine because you will not live if you catch covid. Like, Thats Part of the issue. But the government has not been able to convince people. They have tried the carrots. Now theyre going to try the sticks, and part of the issue is that not only is this political, but when you have people who are convinced that they dont want to do this, it is very difficult to make an adult do something that they just simply do not want to do. One thing that has seemed to help is when the cases have gone up. Yeah. Heres President Biden, lets listen in. Good afternoon. Today i want to talk to you about covid19. Maybe the best way to start is a significant part of the Country Wouldnt have to take one of these off if you dont have to put one on like in my Home State of delaware in new Castle County where i was yesterday in pennsylvania because people got vaccinated. They got vaccinated. They dont need a mask when the majority of the the vast majority of the people got vaccinated. Look, i want to talk about whats really hang, what it means, what it doesnt mean, and what we need to do this week and the months ahead. For from the moment i was elected, i said id always give to you straight from the shoulder, and we need some straight talk right now because theres a lot of Fear And Misinformation in the country, and we need to cut through it with facts, with science, with the truth. So whats really happening today . After months and months of cases going down were seeing a spike in covid cases. Theyre going up. Why . Because of this new form, this new variant called the Delta Variant. This is a much different variant than The One we dealt with previously. Its highly transmissible, and its causing a new wave of cases in those that are not vaccinated. Our experts tell me that cases will go up further before they start to come back down. While cases are on the rise, theyre not were not likely to see according to experts a comparable rise in hospitalizations or deaths in most areas of the country. So up to ask yourself why is that . Because 164 million americans are fully vaccinated, including 80 of the most vulnerable, our seniors. So theres a challenge as you knew there could be. But theres also good news. Weve spent the last six months preparing for this possibility. The vaccines are highly effective. We have enough vaccine for everyone to get vaccinated, and thanks to The American Rescue Plan and the hardworking american people, weve administered over 325 Million vaccinations doses in the past six months. 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. Ive said from the beginning that we will be guided by the science. So heres what the science tells us. On tuesday the center for Disease Control and prevention, the cdc announced its new Mask Recommendation in parts of the country where covid cases are substantially higher where people didnt get vaccinated, which they define as 50 new cases for every 100,000 people in a week. The cdc recommends you wear a mask when youre in public and indoors like work or in a Grocery Store. Thats true for both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Why . Because even if youve been fully vaccinated and protected from severe illness from covid19 you could have the Delta Variant in your system and spread it to someone who isnt vaccinated. We need to wear masks to protect each other and to stop the rapid spread of this virus as we work to get more people vaccinated. And i hope all americans who live in areas with substantial or high case or rates will follow the Mask Guidance as being laid down by the cdc. I certainly will and i have because this is one of those areas in washington. And my decision, my direction all federal personnel and visitors to federal buildings will have to do the same thing. As i said from the beginning, a mask is not a political statement. Its about protecting yourself and protecting others. Masking is one defense against the spread of covid19. But make no mistake. Vaccines are the best defense against you getting severely ill from covid19. The very best defense, and you want to know how we put this virus behind us . Ill trell you how. We need to get more people vaccinated. Look, and its important to understand what vaccines do and what they dont do. Put simply, the vaccines are designed to save lives and prevent severe illness. Theyre highly effective at both. 190 Million americans have had at least One Shot. Of that group, about 90 are done now and 10 are waiting for the second shot. To those folks who have One Shot but not the second, go get the second shot. Even if youre overdue for the second shot, its not too late. Go get the second shot now. Now. The Bottom Line is if youre fully vaccinated, youre highly protected from covid19. But i also know that many of you who are vaccinated are concerned about whats called Breakthrough Ca cases. Yes, some fully vaccinated people will still test positive, and some will show some symptoms of covid19. Thats expected with almost every vaccine there is for other diseases. But Breakthrough Cases remain rare and almost all are mild cases. In fact, virtually all hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated. I also know many of you are wondering if you need a Booster Shot to add another layer of protection. As of now, my medical advisers say the answer is no. No american needs a booster now, but if the science tells us theres a need for boosters, then Thats Something well do. And we have purchased the supply, all the supply we need to be ready if that was called for. Folks, the truth is as more people get vaccinated, we are better protected as a nation to continue reowning safely and responsibly. We are not fully Out Of The Woods yet because what is happening in america right now is a pandemic, a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Let me say that again, its a pandemic of the unvaccinated. There are about 90 Million americans who are eligible to get the Shot But Havent gotten it yet. As i just mentioned, nearly all of the cases, hospitalizations and deaths due to Covid19 Today are from unvaccinated people. Last months a study showed that over 99 of covid19 deaths have been among the unvaccinated. 99 . This is an american tragedy. People are dying and will die who dont have to die. If youre out there unvaccinated, you dont have to die. Read the news. Youll see stories about unvaccinated patients in hospitals. As theyre lying in bed dying from covid19, theyre asking, doc, can i get the vaccine . And the doctors have to say, sorry. Its too late. Right now too many people are dying you feel or watching someone they love dying and saying if i just got vaccinated, if i just. Its heartbreaking. And its complicated even more because its preventable. Americas divided between the majority of eligible people who are vaccinated and those who are not, and i understand that many of you in the majority are frustrated with the consequences of the failure of the minority to get vaccinated, but i want you to know im going to continue to do everything i can to encourage the unvaccinated to get vaccinated. That includes addressing Hesitancy And Misinformation head on. For example, i know some of you who are unvaccinated think the development of the vaccine was rushed, therefore im not going to take a chance. As a result, i think its not safe because it was rushed. I understand, but let me explain. Our top scientists at the national institutes of health, the nih and across the country got to work applying decades of research, decades of research, let me repeat that, decades, it had already been done, the research. To develop the Covid19 Vaccine when it hit. In the last six months, more than 325 Million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the united states, and billions of doses administered around the world. The vaccine was developed and authorized under a republican administration and has been distributed and administered under a democratic administration. Vaccines are safe, highly effective. Theres nothing political about them. Look at all the people who took a shot at it. They later learned a lot of them had already been vaccinated. From the start i have to compliment republican Senator Minority Mitch mcconnell, he hasnt made it political. Hes encouraged people to get vaccinated, hes encouraged people to do so and his states in pretty good state. Alabama Republican Governor cka ivey, and even the commentators on fox who have been belittling us for a long time, some havent but many have, are arguing get vaccinated. Look, this is not about red states and blue states. Its literally about life and death. Its about life and death. Thats what its about. You know, and i know people talk about freedom but i learned growing up at school and with my parents, with freedom comes responsibility. The decision to be unvaccinated impacts Someone Else. Unvaccinated people spread the virus. They get sick and fill up our hospitals and that means if Someone Else has a Heart Attack or breaks a hip, there may not be a Hospital Bed for them. If youre unvaccinated, you put your doctor and nurses at risk the same Front Line essential workers who put their lives on the line over the past year and have gone through hell. Again, with freedom comes responsibility. So please exercise responsibility judgment. Get vaccinated for yourself, for the people you love, for your country. Im being literal when i say this, as i travel the world almost every day a foreign leader calls me asking can i provide his or her country more vaccines. Their people are desperate for vaccines. Were doing everything to answer those calls, were sending millions of vaccines to people around the world. But folks, its an american blessing that we have vaccines for each and every american. Weve made it our first and top priority to have available vaccines for every eligible american and thats never going to change as long as im here. Its a shame because its such a shame to squander that blessing. Thats why after six months of extraordinary work and effort, today im laying out additional steps we should be taking to deliver these Life Saving vaccines to more americans. First, were going to provide more incentives to encourage Unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated. That starts with paid leave to get the shot. Were still hearing that people are unable to get Time Off from their employer to get vaccinated. Well, this is unacceptable. For some time now ive said, you should be able to get the shot and still get paid thanks to The American Rescue Plan, the federal government is fully reimbursing any small or mediumsized business that provides workers with paid Time Off to get vaccinated. Employers, this costs you nothing. If you havent given employees paid Time Off, do it now, please. Today im announcing that were taking this a step further. The federal government will now reimburse those employers who give their staffs Time Off, not only to get themselves vaccinated but also to get their Family Members vaccinated. That means employers can get reimbursed if they give parents Time Off with paid time, paid leave to take their kids or their own parents to get vaccinated. So im calling on all employees across the country to give paid Time Off to get the shot or to help a Family Member do so. I promise you it will cost you the employer nothing. Youll be reimbursed. Secondly, im announcing that well continue the work with states to encourage unvaccinated people to get vaccinated. In february, a Grocery Store chain krogers offered 100 to their associates if they would get vaccinated, and it worked. Vaccination rates moved up from 50 to 75 among their employees. States like new mexico, ohio, and colorado are offering similar Incentive Programs that have helped increase Vaccination Rates. So today im calling on all states and local governments to use funding they have received including from The American Rescue Plan to give 100 to anyone who gets fully vaccinated. I know it might sound unfair to folks who have already gotten vaccinated already, but heres the deal, if incentives help us beat this virus i believe we should use them. We all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated. In addition to providing incentives to encourage vaccination, its time to impose requirements on key groups to make sure theyre vaccinated. Excuse me. Just this week we took an important step to protect our veterans. Like many civilian Hospital Systems are doing, the Department Of Veterans Affairs will now require Covid19 Vaccines for doctors and nurses and other Health Care workers who provide medical care for our veterans. We must do everything possible to protect our veterans from getting covid when they come to get medical care so richly earned serving their country. We owe them. Next, since many vaccinations are required for active duty military today, im asking the Defense Department to look into how and when they will add covid19 to the list of vaccinations our Armed Forces must get. Our Men And Women In Uniform will protect this country from grave threats should be protected as much as possible from getting covid19. I think this is particularly important because our troops serve in places throughout the world. Many where Vaccination Rates are low and disease is prevalent. Next, every federal Government Employee will be asked to attest to their vaccination status. Anyone who does not attest or is not vaccinated will be required to mask no matter where they work test one or two times a week to see if theyve acquired covid, socially distance, and generally will not be allowed to travel for work. Like wise, today im directing my administration to take steps to apply similar standards to all federal contractors. If you want to do business with the federal government, get your workers vaccinated. The Chamber Of Commerce, representing Tens Of Thousands of american businesses, the national association of manufacturers, the Business Round Table is comprised of the largest and biggest corporations in america. Theyre all applauding the actions the federal government is taking and urge them to follow suit. Also commend the national Football League has announced if there are outbreaks among unvaccinated players and personnel, then the Teams Risk forfeiting games. Sports leagues at every level to take every step they can. Every day more businesses are implementing their own Vaccine Mandates. If the Justice Department has made it clear that it is legal to require Covid19 Vaccines, we all want our lives to get back to normal, and fully vaccinated workplaces will make that happen more quickly and more successfully. We all know that in our gut. With incentives and mandates, we can make a huge difference and save a lot of lives. I also want to speak to families with children in school. We can and we must open schools this fall fulltime. Its better for our childrens mental and emotional wellbeing, and we cant afford another year out of the classroom. Every school should be open, and were giving them the tools to be able to do so safely, even in those areas where they have a higher vaccination they have a higher rate of covid. Through The American Rescue Plan we provided schools billions of dollars to implement Safety Measures, better ventilation, Social Distancing and other measures. In march when vaccinations were scarce, i prioritized teachers and School Workers by utilizing our federal Pharmacy Program. Almost 90 of educators and School Staff are now vaccinated. Additionally, the cdc has provided clear guidance on how all schools can safely protect the kids and bring them back to the classroom. Every student wear a mask. Its that simple. So we funded Safety Measures at schools. Weve vaccinated teachers and staff, and we can mask up our kids for further protection. Once again, theres one more thing we need to do. Get more adolescents, ages 12 and up vaccinated now that theyve been cleared. In the past week, the good News Weve seen the average number of 12 to 17yearolds getting vaccinated increase 22 per day. Today im asking School Districts to host one last Popup Vaccination Clinic over the coming weeks for kids ages 12 and up. Were directing the federal Pharmacy Program to help make that happen. Parents get your children vaccinated. You do it for so many other things right now. For kids under 12, if and when the vaccines are deemed safe for them, well be prepared to get the vaccines administered as quickly and as safely as possible. Look, and as we work to vaccinate more americans, were prepared for outbreaks in areas of unvaccinated people. My administration has made it clear to every governor that more federal resources are available to them. This includes deployment of surge teams composed of experts from the cdc and the federal emergency management agency, fema. Were going to continue to provide states with more testing, treatments, protective equipment, personnel, Mobile Vaccination clinics to stem the surge of the virus among the unvaccinated. The pictures of hospitals in several states overloaded with patients is unnecessary, avoi avoidable, and tragic. You know, well help any Health System overloaded and unable to cope with the spike in cases. Were ready to do that. Let me close with this. If youre at home and vaccinated but anxious or even angry, or if youre at home and unvaccinated, unbothered and unconvinced, lets step back and see where we are. Just remember how weve emerged from a Dark Winter into a hopeful spring and summer. But really remember just how dark that winter was. Over 3,600 americans were dying each and every day and now even with the surge among the unvaccinated, were down to that 300 americans a day. Significant. Millions of people are out of work, out of homes, out of hope and going hungry. Remember those long lines, people in their automobiles waiting for a box of food to be put in their trunk . Experts and pundits said we couldnt get the vaccines, and then if we could get the vaccines, we couldnt get them in peoples arms, we couldnt get them vaccinated. They predicted our economy would collapse. Remember how we stayed focused and how we went to work. In six months we got 164 million americans fully vaccinated because we vaccinated so many people, put in place so many Safety Measures and got economic help to businesses and people most in need our economy is recovering. More than 3 Million americans are back to work since i was sworn in. Faster Job Growth than any previous administration, any. Were experiencing the fastest economic growth in nearly four decades. The best in the world as of now. In fact, Todays Gdp numbers show that the first half of the year our economy grew faster than any point in nearly 40 years. Our economy grew more in six months than most Wall Street forecasters expected for the entire year before we impleimpl implemented our plan. And just yesterday we announced a bipartisan Infrastructure Deal thats going to continue this momentum over the longterm by making the most significant investment to rebuild america in nearly a century. But we still have to face many challenges. We still have a lot of work to do as we readjust to a postpandemic economy. But we have the right plan. Were coming back. We just have to stay ahead of this virus. I know this is hard to hear. I know its frustrating. I know its exhausting to think were still in this fight, and i know we hoped this would be a simple straightforward line without problems or new challenges, but that isnt real life. Were coming out of the worst public Health Crisis in 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the great depression. As i told you before, i carry a card in my pocket. I hope i have it with me. I carry a card in my pocket with the number of americans dead from covid19. As of today, this morning, the total deaths in the united states were 609,441. Grant it, the Death Rate per day is way down, its down to 400 about. Thats more deaths than World War 1, World War ii, vietnam, 9 11, iraq, and afghanistan Wars Com combined. This is as tough as it gets, and were americans. When we get knocked down, we get back up. Thats who we are. Thats what we do. Thats why theres no nation on earth like us. And were prepared like never before. We have the tools to save lives, to keep our economy growing and growing and going. After the past six months following the science, we know we can dramatically lower the cases in this country. We can do this. We brought our economy back to life and we kept it going. We know we can send our kids back to school. We know we can beat this virus. We can do this. We all just have to do our part. My fellow americans, this nation has never failed, and we have come together as the united states of america so i say to all those who are unvaccinated, please, please get vaccinated. And the rest of america, this is no time to be despondent or let our guard down. We just need to finish the job with science, with facts, with the truth. Together as americans were going to be able to beat this. May god bless you all, and may god protect our troops. Thank you. Mr. President , mr. President. Why do vaccinated people still need to mask up . Mr. President , how long do you think it might be necessary to wear a mask, and at what point do you think people might have to have a Booster Shot . I said in my talk the Booster Shot is not needed now. It is possible that it will be needed later. I dont know. The Science Hasnt dictated that yet, and the first part of your question . How long do you think people might have to wear masks again . Well, if you notice a lot of places people dont have to wear masks. Lets get that straight. The places where people have gotten vaccinated where we have a high Vaccination Rate, people do not have to wear masks at all. Like some of you who were with me yesterday when i was up in lehigh valley, didnt have to wear masks there. Dont have to mask if you come home to delaware with me. I know you love doing that. You dont have to wear a mask. The places people are probably going to have to wear masks in those communities where the high rate of unvaccinated stays high, and they dont move. They dont move to getting vaccinated, but i think youre going to find the patience of businesses and the patience of a lot of other people running thin because the fact is if you had high Vaccination Rates, we wouldnt be in this spot right now. Yes. Mr. President , will this set up an american workplace for federal workers and private sector that really is the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated, and is that a pressure youre trying to harness now . Im not look what im trying to do is keep people safe. I mean that sincerely, so if, in fact, youre unvaccinated, you present a problem to yourself to your family, and to those with whom you work. Because as pointed out, i was asked a question why would people who have already been vaccinated Get It . Youve got anywhere from 2 to 3 on average the last study done that can still get covid. They dont get very sick. They dont get hospitalized, its not serious, but they can catch it, and the concern is they may be able to pass it on and so thats all being studied right now. But the important thing is if people are vaccinated, the Transmission Rate drops through the floor, and thats all were trying to do. Yes. Mr. President , thank you. Why not push for Vaccine Mandates in states, private companies, schools, do you want to see those entities pass Vaccine Mandates . Id arthlike to see them cone to move in that direction. Thats why i pointed out. I asked the Justice Department to determine whether theyre able to do had that legally, and they can. Local communities can do that, local businesses can do that. Its still a question whether the federal government can mandate the whole country. I dont know that yet. Mr. President , you said earlier this week that we are not headed back towards lockdowns, but if the science is evolving, how can you be so confident in that . We heard you saying weeks ago that the virus was but dr. Fauci has also indicated that we are heading in the wrong direction. Youre literally correct on everything you said, but it doesnt come to the conclusion youre implying. It is clear that if everybodys vaccinated, the existing vaccines work to prevent deaths, serious illness, hospitalization. Okay . So if tomorrow i could wave a wand and every american was vaccinated, then, in fact, wed be Out Of The Woods. Now, can something else happen a year from now . Can there be a different virus . Can there be something . Its possible, but im talking about covid and the existing variants that have come forward so far. So it makes a its a simple proposition. If youre vaccinated, you find yourself in a situation where you are highly unlikely, even if you somehow get the virus, very small percentage do, that you are not going to be hospitalized. Youre not going to be on a ventilator, youre not going to be sick, but you could be in a position to possibly spread it to someone who wasnt, if you have it in you. Yes. Mr. President , thank you. I wanted to ask why not require that people Show Proof that theyre vaccinated and also, if you could just with the 4 million, how much of an impact do you think this will have . Do you have a projection, sir . A projection on what . How many people will get vaccinated by putting in the system . Im not going to get in the business of projecting. Exactly how many people are likely. All i know is that we go through these periods, and then we run up against a wall, and then something happens where people realize, oh, my lord this is really a problem and they begin to see things. Look, the fact that a lot of your friends are now saying get vaccinated who before were saying this is not a problem. This is a democratic thing, with a small d and a Capital D. Theres a lot changing. People are becoming aware, the more aware they become, then we have these surgeries of people going out and getting vaccinated. And it just keeps building. Im sorry. What about requiring proof, sir . Well, that is theres two ways to do it. And i think youre going to see some institutions doing that, like youre going to fly abroad, youre going to have to have proof youre not just going to be able to say, yeahi, i got tested. You got to provide proof. My guess is if we dont start to make more progress, a lot of businesses and a lot of enterprises are going to require proof for you to be able to participate. Mr. President mr. President , and then im going to take off shortly here. What actions are you going to take to encourage private business to follow this type of model to either require vaccines or require testing or other preventative procedures . I just did. Im going to keep at it. Im going to be talking about it around the country. Are you going to reach out to private business, meet with them, try and actively encourage them to follow this model . Well, i have. Thats why we have folks from the Chamber Of Commerce from the manufacturers, et cetera. So, you know, i am am i going to call a meeting of every, you know, business in the country to come to Washington Or Go i have made the case repeatedly. I doubt whether theres a single Solitary Business that doesnt understand that i think its smart for them to require testing, require and if you cant demonstrate, you cant prove youve been vaccinated, you have to be tested. Secretary austin said he was already considering mandating the vaccine after it was fully approved. Would you like to see the mandate go into effect before full approval, and do you think hes open to that . I know hes open to it, and the question is when is the right time to get the most Bang For The Buck when you do it . A lot of this is timing. I think its going to happen. Look, The One thing that you all are politely and appropriately referencing is that its still a temporary approval. So when does the final approval come . It usually takes a lot of a lot of work to get there. I made a commitment i would not tell anyone in the Justice Department who they should prosecute, and i would not tell the Health Industry that the Government Health entities what they should say and do, but my expectation is theyre going to reach that conclusion in the early fall. That you think thank you very much. Mr. President you said if you were fully vaccinated you no longer knead to wear a mask, and it seems no i didnt say fully vaccinated in an area where you do not have let me clarify. In may you made it sound like a vaccine was the ticket to losing masks forever. That is true at the time because i thought there were people who were going to understand that getting vaccinated and what happened was the new variant came along, they didnt get vaccinated, it was spread more rapidly, and op