Coronavirus: Biden warns 'war far from won'
March 30, 2021
President Joe Biden has announced an expansion of the United States' coronavirus vaccination campaign, saying 90% of all adults would be eligible for the jab by April 19.
Biden also warned that the "war against Covid-19 is far from won," lambasting "reckless behavior we've seen on television over the past few weeks" that left the country on the brink of a new surge.
The Biden administration's overall goal is to ensure 90% of adults have a vaccination site within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of where they live.
Easier accessibility to vaccines
The new measures include ramping up the number of pharmacies — from 17,000 to nearly 40,000 — taking part in a federal immunization program. The government is also looking to create a dozen additional mass vaccination sites over the next three weeks.
The plan also includes $100 million (€85 million) in funding to help get the shot to vulnerable and at-risk older adults and people with disabilities.
Call to reinstate mask mandates
Biden also called on several states to reverse orders allowing for looser mask mandates and restrictions on businesses.
"Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down," he said, adding that wearing a mask was every American's "patriotic duty."
While six US states have already lifted mask mandates, several more intend to do so in the coming month. The US has borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, with close to 550,000 deaths and over 30 million confirmed cases.
see/nm (Reuters, AFP)