The most beautiful photos of Independence Day in the USA: a reunion party

The United States has made the Independence Day celebration a date for reunion after months of restrictions due to the pandemic of coronavirus, which has killed more than 600,000 in this country.

The Americans, already for weeks without obligation to wear a mask in case they have been fully vaccinated, except in certain closed spaces, threw themselves into parks and public places, while the numbers of travelers have almost returned to the levels of 2019.

“The United States is united again. 245 years ago, we declared our independence from a distant king. Today we are closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus, ”said US President Joe Biden., in his speech on the occasion of this national holiday.

The Democratic Administration saw this date as an auspicious occasion for family reunion and “Covid-19 Independence Day and Independence Day”.

“See you again. Businesses are opening up and hiring again,” said the president who organized his first massive activity at the White House on July 4.

The South Garden of the Presidential Residence welcomed some 1,000 people, most of them essential workers, military personnel and their families, to enjoy a barbecue, one of the most entrenched customs among Americans to celebrate their independence.

The activity, which included a concert, took place as thousands of people around the White House awaited the fireworks display that traditionally ends on this day.

“We are emerging from the darkness of a year of pandemic and isolation,” added Biden, who recalled that 2020 was “a year of heartbreaking pain, fear and loss.

But amid the festive mood, Biden warned the battle against COVID-19 was not over. “We have a lot of work to do,” said the US leader, who insisted the virus “has not been beaten”.

He recalled that “powerful” variants such as the delta, initially detected in India, have emerged, which is why he urged Americans to be vaccinated, adding that “the best defense against these variants is to get vaccinated “.

This Sunday alone, the main government epidemiologist, Anthony Fauci, called on the population to leave the “differences” and to be vaccinated to avoid “preventable” deaths.

Speaking to NBC News, Fauci regretted that about 99.2% of people who have died in recent weeks from the virus have not been vaccinated.

Biden had proposed as a goal that by then 70% of adults have at least one dose of the vaccine, but admitted weeks ago that this would not be achieved, largely due to low levels of inoculation among them. younger.

Only 20 of the country’s 50 states and the District of Columbia – where the city of Washington is located – met the president’s target, according to figures from the New York Times.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 67.1% of the population over 18 (about 173.1 million) have received at least one injection, while 58.2% are already fully immune.

For the general population, 54.9% (182.4 million) have received a dose and 47.4% have already completed their vaccination.

“If you haven’t been vaccinated, do it now,” the president asked his compatriots, noting: “we don’t want to go back to where we were a year ago.” “Today, although the virus has not been defeated, we know it: it no longer controls our lives, it no longer paralyzes our nation and it is in our power to ensure that it does not happen again. “Biden said.

That day, he called on his compatriots to remember who they are. “We are the United States and there is nothing we cannot do if we do it together,” he said, closing his speech with a “happy 4th of July”.

With information from the EFE

PHOTOS: Reuters and EFE

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