Vaccination rates in the U.S. have risen 20% since President Joe Biden implemented a vaccination requirement for federal workers, along with multiple institutions expecting their employees to do the same, according to a report Wednesday from Reuters.

COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients reported that 77% of eligible Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported cases have fallen 11.6% in the past seven-day average, hospitalizations have fallen 13.2% in the past week ending Oct. 5, and deaths have dropped 8.4%.

Biden put forward a vaccine requirement affecting 100 million private-sector employees, healthcare workers and federal contractors to curb the spread of the deadly virus that has killed over 700,000 Americans. The rule required all employers with 100 employees or more to either get vaccinated or receive a COVID-19 test at least once a week.

"Since late July, when the president first announced vaccination requirements and called on organizations to follow his lead, the number of eligible Americans who are unvaccinated has decreased by about one-third from 97 million down to 66 million individuals," Zients said.

Officials warn the Delta variant is still highly contagious and the nation should not let its guard down amid the good news.

"Despite the recent decrease in cases, most communities across the country are still experiencing substantial to high levels of community transmission," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

Walensky added that, "we absolutely need to stay focused on continuing to get COVID under control around the country, especially as we head into the fall and winter season" through wearing masks and vaccinations.

Some top Republican lawmakers have taken issue with vaccine mandates. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has taken executive action banning all employers, including private businesses, from mandating their employees to receive the vaccine. According to the order, violators will face a $1,000 fine.

Abbott says the ban protects any person who objects to being vaccinated “for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on Abbott's ban in a recent briefing.

“I think it’s pretty clear when you make a choice that’s against all public health information and data out there that it’s not based on what is in the interests of the people you are governing,” she said.

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