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President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Covid-19 response and vaccinations in the South Court auditorium of the White House in Washington DC on March 29, 2021.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Monday urged governors and local leaders who have abandoned radical mask mandates to reestablish their orders, said some states should wait to reopen their economies while condemning “reckless behavior” that could cause further harm. ‘infections.
“Our job is far from over. The war on Covid-19 is far from won,” Biden said at a press briefing, where he announced a series of plans to dramatically expand access vaccines in the coming weeks. “It is extremely serious.”
The president said he supported the warnings of Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who said earlier Monday that the United States faces “imminent disaster” as daily cases of Covid -19 start to bounce again. Biden also said he believes some states should put their reopening plans on hold amid the recent surge in cases.
Walensky told a press briefing earlier today that many states are reopening their economies even if the level of viral transmission remains too high. Walensky said she would ask governors on Tuesday to “refrain from opening too quickly.”
“I’m going to stop here, I’m going to lose the script, and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” Walensky told reporters. “We have so much to hope for, so much promise and potential from where we are and so much to hope for, but right now I’m scared.”
The United States has recorded an average of 63,239 new cases of Covid-19 per day over the past week, a 16% increase from a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by the University Johns Hopkins. Daily cases are now increasing by at least 5% in 30 states and the District of Columbia.
While hospitalizations and deaths from coronaviruses generally lag behind infections, the daily number of deaths has started to level off. The United States is reporting a weekly average of 970 coronavirus deaths per day, a 3% drop from the previous week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins.
“We are giving up hard-earned gains,” Biden said. “And as much as we are doing America, it’s time to do more.”
The president urged states and businesses to maintain or reinstate widespread mask mandates, saying failure to take the virus seriously “is precisely what got us in this mess in the first place” and could result in more infections and deaths.
Senior public health officials have urged states to exercise caution for weeks on end, warning that highly transmissible virus variants – particularly B.1.1.7 first identified in the UK – threaten to upset people. progress of the country after the decline in infections for nearly three months.
Despite these calls, a handful of governors have decided to lift capacity restrictions on businesses, like restaurants and gyms. Some states, like Texas and Mississippi, have dropped statewide mask requirements while others, like Alabama, have said they will do so in early April.
“We are making progress on vaccinations, but cases are increasing and the virus is still spreading to too many places,” Biden said.
He announced that 90% of adults in the United States will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines by April 19 and will be able to get them within five miles of their homes as part of the country’s expanded vaccination plan. administration.
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