NEW YORK: Across the US, state governments and businesses are starting to shift from the carrot to the stick to boost coronavirus vaccinations, as daily new cases remain above 100,000 for days and deaths over 400, reported The Washington Post on Friday.

“Cities and states — many of which have previously focused on incentives for shots ranging from free beer to scholarships and multimillion-dollar lotteries — are now boosting requirements or threatening consequences,” said the report.

The effort comes as the US administration considers the threat of withholding federal funds from institutions to persuade them to mandate vaccines — “a huge potential shift in the fight against the virus and a far more muscular approach to getting shots into arms,” it said.

The effort could apply to institutions, care facilities, cruise ships and universities, potentially impacting millions of US citizens, but no firm decisions have been made, it added.–Xinhua