President Joe Biden has warned Americans that we have difficult days ahead for the pandemic of coronavirus and expects the U.S. death toll to exceed half a million next month.
“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” Biden told the White House on Thursday. “The death toll is likely to exceed 500,000 next month.”
“For the past year, we could not have relied on the federal government to work with the crisis and the focus and coordination we needed and we have borne the terrible cost of failure. see that, “said Biden, citing more than 24 million COVID cases and more than 408,000 deaths in the U.S. to date, the highest numbers in the world.
Biden unveiled his new federal plan to combat the virus, known as the National Strategy for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness and signed a number of pandemic-related action plans.
“Our national strategy is wide-ranging. It is based on science, not politics. It’s about truth, not denial, ”said Biden. The president has been deeply critical of the Trump administration’s treatment of the pandemic and called the release of the vaccine “a disgraceful failure so far.”
The previous government had set a target of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of last year. On Thursday, more than 17.5 million vaccines were given across the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The plan aims to develop an effective vaccination campaign to manage 100 million views in its first 100 days, “reduce spread” through improved public health management and mandatory mask wear, and reopen schools and businesses. safely.
Some of those goals are being addressed by actionable actions, 10 of which were signed by Biden on Thursday. One requires the application of mascara in airports and on public transport, including many trains, planes and intercity buses. Biden also signed orders to set up a board to increase COVID testing, address supply shortages, establish protocols for international travelers and direct resources to hard-core minority communities.
Other action includes the intention to join the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX), which aims to deliver vaccines to poor countries, Biden chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said. to the World Health Organization on Thursday.
Trump had suspended funding for the WHO and planned to withdraw from the group in July, which Biden put back in action order on his resignation Wednesday.
Fauci told ABC News that returning to WHO was an urgent step in helping fight the revolution.
“It will be very important. When you are dealing with a global pandemic you need to have an international connection, ”he said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, will speak to reporters ahead of an event with President Joe Biden on the coronavirus, January 21, 2021 [Alex Brandon/AP Photo]
Prior to his appointment, Biden proposed a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief and incentive package that would increase unemployment benefits and provide payments of just $ 1,400 to restaurants.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the $ 1.9 trillion included “the parts needed to give people the relief they needed”, but acknowledged that the package is likely to change as it sought Congressional approval.
The House plans to take the bill to a vote the first week of February, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.