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In national address, Biden tells states to make all adults vaccine eligible by 1 May
Joe Biden has directed states to make all American adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines by 1 May and set an audacious goal of 4 July for gatherings to celebrate “independence” from the deadly pandemic.
But in his first prime-time address, which marked the anniversary of America’s shutdown, the president warned that restrictions could be reinstated if the nation lets down its guard against the virus.
“Tonight, I’m announcing that I will direct all states, tribes and territories to make all adults – people 18 and over – eligible to be vaccinated no later than 1 May,” Biden said in the east room of the White House. “That’s much earlier than expected.”
He went on to make clear that this does not mean every person can get their shot in the arm by then but they will at least be able to join a waiting list. It signified the growing confidence of an administration that Biden said remains on “a war footing to get the job done”.
The president said his target of 100m vaccine doses in his first 100 days has already been exceeded, with the US now on track to achieve that figure on his 60th day.
In a 24-minute speech that carefully balanced caution and optimism, Biden also announced that the federal government will create a website before 1 May to help people find vaccination sites and schedule appointments. He promised he would “not relent” until the virus is beaten but he needs every American to “do their part”.
He then offered a tangible target with emotional resonance: “If we do this together, by July the fourth there’s a good chance you, your families and friends, will be able to get together in your back yard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout or a barbecue and celebrate independence day.”
He added: “After this long hard year, that will make this independence day something truly special, where we not only mark our independence as a nation, but we begin to mark our independence from this virus.”
Trump was frequently criticised last year for setting wildly optimistic dates for reopening businesses and schools. With many states already lifting restrictions again, Biden was at pains to say the fight is far from over. “Because if we don’t stay vigilant and the conditions change and we may have to reinstate restrictions to get back on track,” he warned. “Please, we don’t want to do that again. We’ve made so much progress. This is not the time to let up.”
Wearing a black mask, dark suit, white shirt, striped tie and white handkerchief in his breast pocket, Biden walked up a red carpet flanked by flags to make the address – the first on live television from the east room since Donald Trump falsely claimed election victory at 2.20am on 4 November. More - in US Politics
Joe Biden pledges vaccine eligibility for all US adults by 1 May in nationwide address – video
Joe Biden has pledged all US adults will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines by 1 May as he addressed the nation on the one year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden outlined plans to speed up vaccinations around the country and hoped for a return to normalcy by 4 July. The president condemned the hate crimes against Asian Americans, and repeated his calls for unity, as he urged Americans to continue to wear masks
Biden pledges all US adults will be eligible for vaccines by 1 May in pandemic anniversary address – live More - in US Politics
Biden signs $1.9tn Covid relief ahead of first primetime address as president
Joe Biden signed the historic $1.9tn Covid-19 relief package into law on Thursday, hours before he will deliver his first primetime TV address as US president to mark one year since the virus triggered widespread shutdowns across the country.“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said in brief remarks before signing the landmark legislation.Biden is expected to use his televised speech to hail the stimulus bill known as the American Rescue Plan, which the White House has touted as the biggest progressive spending package in generations that is critical for steering the US towards the end of the pandemic.But Biden is also expected to acknowledge the ongoing pain caused by the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 530,000 Americans and brought unemployment, hunger and dislocation to tens of millions more. And he is also expected to offer hope, asking for optimism as beleaguered Americans face what comes next.Previewing the speech, Biden said he will outline what his administration plans to do to help guide the US through a huge vaccination program and rebuild shattered lives and businesses in the months ahead. “I’m going to launch the next phase of the Covid response,” the Democrat said on Wednesday.“There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of the past year. But we cannot let our guard down now or assume the victory is inevitable. Together, we’re going to get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future.”A White House official said the speech will last less than 20 minutes and will note how controlling the pandemic and administering vaccines has been the “greatest operational challenge the country has faced”. So far, more than 62 million people across the US have been vaccinated. Biden said this week that the US “hit a record of 2.9m vaccinations in one day in America” on Saturday.The speech is resonant in its timing, coming a year to the day since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the coronavirus a pandemic. It’s also a year to the night since Donald Trump, the former president, delivered a similar televised address on the pandemic that came after he repeatedly claimed the virus would somehow disappear on its own.One year ago the pandemic became tangible for most Americans, with many companies telling staff to work from home, if they were able to, sporting bodies such as the NBA canceling games and Broadway shows shuttering in New York City.The period since has seen waves of the virus surge across the country, with the deficient response of several states and the Trump administration seeing healthcare systems pushed close to collapse and millions of frontline workers, particularly people of color, suffer the brunt of the pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, more than 14% of working Americans were out of a job.Biden has sought to instill optimism over the course of the pandemic since becoming president, with the rate of new infections and hospitalizations now starting to fall. His administration has set a goal of 100m vaccine shots in the first 100 days, something the president was upbeat over in a visit to a Washington DC hospital this week.“We’re really warping the speed now,” Biden said. “We’re doing pretty good across the country. We’re going to hit 100m soon.”Life remains upended for millions of Americans, however. The stimulus package is the first major legislative victory of Biden’s presidency and promises to raise millions of Americans out of poverty. It includes $1,400 payments for eligible individuals along with hundreds of billions of dollars more to bolster vaccine distribution, extended unemployment assistance and child tax credits. No Republicans in Congress voted for the bill, claiming it was bloated and unnecessary, but Biden, a Democrat, appears to have strong public support for the measures. Polling has shown a clear majority of American voters support the Covid aid package and approve generally of the way the president has handled the coronavirus crisis since taking office.Challenges still remain in delivering vaccines, however, as well as the actions of several states, such as Texas, that have started to ease restrictions such as mask mandates. More than 18m doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine will be shipped to states, tribes and territories this week, the White House said, with another 100m additional doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine set to be delivered later this year.Biden has previously said there will be enough vaccine for all American adults by the end of May. There is still no plan for the vaccination of children, although the president is also hoping to push forward the reopening of schools.The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has new guidelines that allow the gathering of fully vaccinated people with vaccinated grandparents or friends without masks or socially distancing, but there is still no indication when it will be safe for people to travel again or for life more broadly to return to normality.“There are a lot of folks who are older, people with chronic diseases,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told ABC. “Let them get vaccinated and I think it will happen in the next month or so then we can begin to relax these restrictions and get our lives back.” More
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'It’s every man for himself': the Texans defying end of mask mandate
The parking lot was packed at The Shops at La Cantera, a partially outdoor mall in north-west San Antonio, on the day that Texas officially ended mandatory mask wearing. But it was clear not everyone was ready to embrace the change, with most people who wandered in and out of stores still donning face coverings, and many shops requiring customers to wear one before entering.Governor Greg Abbott announced an end to the statewide mask mandate he issued over the summer on 2 March, and on Wednesday, the new rules took effect. This means that not only are Texans no longer required to wear a mask, but stores, restaurants, and even bars are fully open at maximum capacity despite the fact that only 16% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated.But a few businesses at the mall – including Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, and L’Occitane en Provence – took it upon themselves to defy the new rules, posting signs informing customers that their policies are not in line with those of the state government. One reads: “Your mask must cover your nose and mouth at all times. No food or drink allowed.” Another says: “No mask, no entry. We welcome 4 customers inside at a time. Thank you!”Eryn Louis sat at a table in the outdoor food court across from her sister. Before agreeing to be interviewed, both women ask for a moment to put their face masks on – a clear indication of how they feel about the governor’s new order.“I absolutely hate it,” Louis said, referring to Abbott’s decision to end the statewide mask mandate. “I was at home with my mom when I found out about it. I almost wanted to cry because even though I’m double vaccinated, I’m still high risk since I’m type 1 diabetic. Our grandfather is high risk. My stepdad is high risk.”Louis and her sister said they had already witnessed a non-cooperative customer defy a store’s mask policy.“Today, when we were leaving Target there was a lady who was getting mad because Target is still requiring people to wear masks,” Louis said. “She said, ‘Target is not a Texas corporation. You don’t have to do this.’ And of course she wasn’t wearing a mask when she walked in.”Louis is both a student and a server in a restaurant. While she is completing her classes online, she must be physically present at work where she has been most at risk throughout the pandemic.“We used to [require masks]. Now our sign on the door just says we encourage them. Even last year, my managers cared more about the guest experience than they did about being mask police,” Louis said. Louis said even before the mask mandate was lifted, she and other servers were told not to say anything to customers if they weren’t wearing a mask, since they would just take it off at their tables anyway.“I’ve had one customer come in who was a doctor. He was terrified of sitting by anyone because he’s seen Covid and what it could do.”Ayana Delvalle works at the cash register at the Pottery Barn, one of the many shops in the mall that is still enforcing a mask policy.“Pottery Barn’s policy from the beginning has always been to cover your nose and mouth from the moment you walk into the store until the time you leave,” Delvalle. “Even more so recently, we have incorporated no food or drink inside the store to prevent people from pulling their masks off.”Devalle says she is not yet vaccinated because she is still too nervous.“Getting the vaccination does scare me a little bit just because it’s still a little soon. I just want to wait it out and see how the more of the population reacts to it before I make that decision myself.”However, she says she will continue to wear a mask in public.“For me personally, it’s everyone’s choice but I would hope people would make the right decision as far as other people’s safety and health,” Devalle said.Mahak Ahsan is a student pharmacist in the city. She expressed frustration that the state government is impeding the work she and her colleagues are doing to administer vaccines, and educate people about the benefits of immunizations and wearing masks.“No one has any respect for the healthcare workers. Not even just for us but nurses and doctors – everyone who works so tirelessly. We’re the ones who are around the sick people the most so it’s just a slap in our face,” Ahsan said. “It just really sucks.”Ahsan believes the mask mandate lift is “a very bad idea”.“Majority of Texas hasn’t even been vaccinated. That’s insane,” Ahsan said. “I don’t feel comfortable knowing that so many people out here aren’t vaccinated and are walking around without masks.”Ahsan said she was angry and concerned because while she is fully vaccinated, her parents only just received their first shots this week. She believes vaccines should be available and accessible to everyone now that masks are no longer required.“They did a horrible job of trying to give the [vaccines] to the people who need it the most. You see these teachers still don’t have it,” she said. “At this point, it’s every man for himself. Everyone needs to have gotten it by now.” More
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Biden pledges surplus vaccines will be shared with the rest of the world – video
The US president has pledged surplus vaccines will be shared with the rest of the world, after he announced the purchase of an additional 100m Johnson & Johnson doses. ‘If we have a surplus, we’re going to share it with the rest of the world,’ he said. ‘This is not something that can be stopped by a fence no matter how high you build a fence or a wall. So we’re not going to be safe until the world is safe. And so, we’re going to start off making sure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try and help the rest of the world.’ The president reiterated plans to have all American adults vaccinated by the end of May and revealed the country hit a record of 2.9m vaccinations in one day on Saturday
Coronavirus live news: at least 3,000 nurses have died in year since WHO declared Covid pandemic More - in Elections
'Help is on the way': Democrats cheer as US House passes $1.9tn Covid relief plan – video
The House of Representatives gave final approval on Wednesday to one of the largest economic stimulus measures in US history, a sweeping $1.9tn Covid-19 relief bill that gives Joe Biden his first major victory in office. The measure provides $400bn for $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350bn in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit, and increased funding for vaccine distribution. ‘This is the most consequential legislation that many of us will ever be a party to,’ the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said at a ceremony to sign the bill before it goes to the White House
US House passes $1.9tn Covid relief plan in major legislative victory for Biden
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