President Biden expressed worry but not panic on Tuesday as the US established daily records for COVID-19 cases recorded, as his government attempted to address concerns of testing shortages, school closures, and other disruptions caused by the Omicron strain.
President Joe Biden expressed worry but not panic on Tuesday as the US established daily records for COVID-19 cases recorded, as his government attempted to address concerns of testing shortages, school closures, and other disruptions caused by the omicron strain.
Vaccines, Booster, and Therapeutic Drugs have helped reduce the Risk
Biden spoke before a meeting with his COVID-19 response team at the White House, attempting to express his administration’s seriousness in dealing with omicron and persuade apprehensive Americans that the present situation bears little similarity to the pandemic’s start or last year’s terrible winter. The president stressed that vaccinations, booster injections, and treatment medications have reduced the risk for the vast majority of properly immunized Americans.
On Monday, the United States recorded over 1 million COVID-19 instances, owing in part to backlogs during the New Year’s vacation. COVID- In the United States, 19 infections are occurring at a rate of about 480,000 per day. Hospitals have been overcrowded in various places, forcing the federal government to send employees to help with the flow of patients.
That’s why Biden and government health officials are asking those who haven’t been vaccinated to do so as soon as possible, and those who are eligible for booster shots to do so as soon as possible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 66 percent of eligible adult Americans are completely vaccinated against COVID-19, with nearly one-third receiving a booster dose. Biden cited that being vaccinated will not make anyone seriously ill because the pandemic continues for the unvaccinated Moreover, He also urged Americans, particularly newly eligible youngsters aged 12 to 15, to obtain a booster dose of immunizations to provide optimal protection.
Biden also announced intentions to increase the federal government’s purchase of Pfizer’s COVID-19 medicine Paxlovid from 10 million to 20 million courses, although he warned that the tablets would take months to manufacture and distribute.
Biden has come under criticism in recent weeks as the United States has faced a shortage of at-home testing kits and a rise in demand for tests as the Christmas season approaches. The president acknowledged his displeasure with the testing situation on Tuesday but emphasized that things were getting better, citing his administration’s intention to give 500 million free tests to Americans starting this month.
Biden Aims to Keep Schools Open
Biden also said twice that he wants to keep schools open, citing education money in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package approved last year. His message has been consistent: school closings and other forms of closure are not required to handle the current surge of instances. Despite Biden’s viewpoint, owing to the omicron wave, several schools have temporarily switched to virtual learning.
According to a CNBC-Change Research survey issued this week, 45 percent of people favor Biden’s handling of the coronavirus, while 55 percent disagree.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, speaking to reporters later Tuesday, refuted claims that the government had lost control of the virus, insisting that the Biden administration has made progress on vaccines, school reopening, and testing.
