Biden to impose new vaccine mandates during coronavirus address Thursday

President Biden is expected Thursday afternoon to impose new vaccination mandates as part of a broader, six-pronged, plan to continue combating the novel virus.

The president reportedly plans to exert pressure on private businesses, federal agencies, and schools to implement stricter vaccine policies as the Delta variant continues to spread. 

Biden spoke with his team of coronavirus advisers on Wednesday and is set to brief the nation aboard Air Force One at 5 pm Eastern today. Officials familiar with the plan say that the speech will include new federal requirements for vaccination.

The president is also expected to sign a set of new executive orders that will require the vast majority of federal employees and contractors to get vaccinated. Biden has already pushed federal workers to get vaccinated by announcing that those who do not will be required to submit themselves for regular testing, but he has now decided that approach has not been effective enough and will be eliminating the option of testing. 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that dependent upon "if you're vaccinated or not," the president's address may outline added detail to existing COVID-19 restrictions polices that broadly impact the American population. Psaki also said that the White House is currently working on a plan for booster shots, but did not provide a time frame for that rollout.