| NYC will require vaccines or tests for city workers, France mandates health passes, and Covid numbers rise in Florida. Here's what you should know: Headlines New York City will require all municipal workers to get vaccinated or tested weekly This morning Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all of the roughly 340,000 municipal workers in New York City will need to get vaccinated by the time schools reopen in September or get tested weekly. To date, around 60 percent of the city's education department employees, 43 percent of its police officers, and 55 percent of its fire department are vaccinated. It is not yet clear if the city's unions will support the new requirement. France passes a law requiring Covid-19 health passes and vaccinations for health workers France's parliament approved a law today that will require people to present special virus passes before entering restaurants and other public venues or embarking on any domestic travel, and mandating that all health workers get vaccinated. The law applies to all adults at first, and beginning September 30, it will apply to everyone over the age of 12. The pass will prove that people have been fully vaccinated, recently tested negative, or recently recovered from Covid-19. These stipulations have already spurred protests and political tensions. Cases and hospitalizations surge in Florida, thanks to the Delta variant, the unvaccinated, and time spent indoors Florida is leading the US in new Covid cases, accounting for one in five new infections in the country over the past week. The state's weekly total of new cases increased more than four times between the start of the month and July 22. Hospitalizations are also increasing at their fastest rate since the start of the pandemic in some parts of the state, and deaths are also on the rise. Experts cite large numbers of unvaccinated people, relaxed public health measures, and the spread of the Delta variant, as well as large gatherings indoors due to summer heat as some of the causes for these rising numbers. Daily Distraction Gymnastics is an extremely difficult sport, even for vaunted medalists like Simone Biles. To understand why, take a look at the physics. Something to Read Recently, the White House has put out increasingly fervent calls for social media platforms to quash misinformation. But if President Biden wants to see actual reform, his administration will need to address consumer safety, privacy, and antitrust. And just as importantly, he'll need to buy time to execute a plan. Sanity Check Planning to hit the road this summer? Here are our favorite trip-planning apps and tips. One Question Is it normal for viruses to mutate? All viruses mutate over time, as they spread from person to person. The novel coronavirus is no exception, but recently several new strains have emerged that seem to be more infectious— notably the Delta variant, now the dominant strain in the US. The good news is that, so far, the vaccines we have are still largely effective at preventing serious illness. And not all variants are cause for alarm. As scientists boost genetic sequencing to trace these and other mutations more effectively and vaccination drives continue, the advent of these strains means it's more important than ever to abide by social distancing guidelines. 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. | 
