| NYC mandates vaccinations or testing for hospital workers, cases rise in Tokyo, and the White House reports breakthrough infections. Here's what you should know: Headlines New York City will require public hospital workers to get vaccinated or undergo weekly tests New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is ordering all staff at the city's public hospitals to get vaccinated or get tested for the virus every week. Nearly a third of New York's hospital workers have not yet been vaccinated, and cases are on the rise in the city, though death and hospitalization rates remain comparably low. Experts and lawmakers have also urged the mayor to reinstate an indoor mask mandate for everyone, regardless of whether they've been vaccinated, but so far he has refused to do so. Case counts hit a six-month high in Tokyo just days before the start of the Olympics The Tokyo Olympics are set to kick off on Friday, but today the city's infections hit a six-month high, reaching 1,832 new cases. About 23 percent of the country's population is fully vaccinated, and its vaccine drive is reportedly slowing due to supply uncertainty. In response to pandemic concerns, fans aren't allowed at any Olympics venues in the Tokyo area, and the city is under its fourth state of emergency, which will last until August 22. Staffers and lawmakers in Washington, DC, experience breakthrough infections Several lawmakers and staffers in Washington DC have tested positive for coronavirus, including a fully vaccinated member of the White House staff and one of Speaker Pelosi's staffers, as well as six members of a delegation of Texas lawmakers who came from Austin to prevent a restrictive voting bill from passing at home. Even so, press secretary Jen Psaki remained calm, affirming that breakthrough cases will happen but are typically mild. Officials remain staunch that, if anything, the advent of breakthrough infections is an additional reminder that people who haven't gotten vaccinated should do so as soon as possible. Daily Distraction On Netflix's new show Sexy Beasts, contestants don elaborate makeup and prosthetics before going on dates, a gimmicky setup that purportedly takes looks out of the dating equation. In the end, though, it's a show about anticipating whether the person you're talking to is hot or not. Something to Read Sixty years ago, Mary Wallace ("Wally") Funk was part of a group trained to become the first female astronauts. But NASA never signed off on the program. Yesterday, Funk finally made it into outer space. Oh, and Jeff Bezos was there too. Sanity Check The Olympics start this week, and there are plenty of ways to catch your favorite events. Here's how to watch. One Question Are social media platforms to blame for the spread of vaccine misinformation? Recently, the White House accused Facebook of stoking the flames of pandemic misinformation, thereby discouraging the vaccine-hesitant from getting shots and fueling the spread of Covid-19. But it's hard to argue that any social network, even Facebook, has anything close to the impact of conservative cable news channels like Fox News on vaccine hesitancy. The issue is heavily partisan: The average vaccination rate was nearly 12 percentage points higher in counties that voted for Biden than in those that went to Trump as of early July. And nearly 60 percent of vaccine-related segments on Fox over a recent two-week period undermined vaccination efforts. Covid-19 Care Package 📦 To end this pandemic and prevent future ones, we'll need a good way to track and surveil emerging diseases. Here's a look at the latest efforts. 😷 Masks may no longer be mandatory where you live, but it's still a good idea to have a few around. Here are the best masks you can buy, or how to make one at home. 💉 Vaccines are the most effective way to protect yourself and others against Covid-19. Here's how to get an appointment in your area. 💻 Whether or not you're a work-from-home pro, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 🚗 Itching for a vacation but not quite ready to get on a plane? Hit the road instead. Here's everything you need to plan a post-pandemic road trip. 👋 So you're fully vaccinated! Congrats. Here are some ways you can let others know. 🦠Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
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