US coming back together, but COVID-19 not finished yet: Biden
Calling vaccination "the most patriotic thing you can do," US President Joe Biden Sunday mixed the nation's birthday party with a celebration of freedom from the worst of the pandemic. He tempered the strides against COVID-19 with a warning that the fight against the virus wasn't over. "Today, all across this nation, we can say with confidence: America is coming back together," Biden declared.
'We're emerging from darkness of a year of pandemic, isolation'
"This year, the Fourth of July is a day of special celebration, for we're emerging from the darkness of a year of pandemic and isolation, a year of pain fear, and heartbreaking loss," President Biden said.
The battle against COVID-19 is not over: Biden
Noting the lockdowns that shuttered businesses, put millions out of work, and separated untold numbers of families, Biden said, "Today we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus." "That's not to say the battle against COVID-19 is over. We've got a lot more work to do," he added, as he hosted the July Fourth celebration at the White House.
Cases are at record low in US; businesses opening up
After enduring 16 months of disruption in the pandemic and over 605,000 deaths, the White House encouraged gatherings and fireworks displays across the country to mark America's "independence" from the virus. Notably, COVID-19 cases and deaths were at record lows since the outbreak thanks to the robust vaccination program. Moreover, businesses/restaurants were opening, hiring was picking up, and travel was getting closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Only 67% adult population was vaccinated till July Fourth
However, the vaccination goal set by Biden for July Fourth, which is to vaccinate 70% of the adult population, fell short at 67%, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More concerning to officials was the gap between heavily vaccinated communities where the virus was dying out and lesser-vaccinated ones where a more infectious virus variant was already taking hold.
Counties with low vaccination rate can be next hotspots
Over 200 Americans still die each day from COVID-19, while tens of millions have chosen not to get the vaccines. About 1,000 counties have a vaccination rate below 30%, and the federal government is warning that they could become the next hotspots as restrictions ease.
Biden administration is making efforts to export vaccines
Meanwhile, the Biden administration was sending "surge" teams to Colorado and Missouri. Additional squads of infectious disease experts, public health professionals, and doctors and nurses were getting ready to assist in additional locations with a combination of low vaccination rates and rising cases. The administration is also making efforts to send excess US vaccines abroad to assist other nations in beating back the pandemic.
Suffering and loss is nearly entirely unavoidable: CDC's Director
"The suffering and loss we are now seeing is nearly entirely avoidable," said the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky. When asked about the potential risks of holding gatherings around July Fourth in areas where there are large pockets of unvaccinated individuals, White House press secretary Jen Psaki had countered that "if individuals are vaccinated in those areas, then they are protected."
Consequences of disease now reflect individual choices of vaccination: Officials
With US demand for vaccines falling despite being available for months even as governments and businesses dangled an array of incentives at Americans to get a shot, officials were increasingly emphasizing that consequences of disease now reflect the individual choices of those who aren't vaccinated.
