COVID-19 vaccine incentive: Biden calls for $100 payout to newly vaccinated By Catherine Park WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden called on local governments Thursday to draw from COVID-19 relief funds to give $100 to newly vaccinated people, hoping to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country. Local governments can pull from their State and Local Recovery Funds issued through the American Rescue Plan, Biden said in remarks on Thursday. The American Rescue Plan has allocated $350 billion to help local governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cash reward for vaccination was one idea in Biden’s latest plan to boost lagging vaccination rates in many parts of the nation. Rolled out Thursday, the core of his new plan is a requirement for federal workers to disclose their vaccination status to their agencies.