Biden speaks on the COVID-19 anniversary. President Biden still did not take questions from the press, but he did layout a vaccination plan. By May 1st, all states will have to allow residents age 18 and up to be vaccinated. He also stated that Americans should be able to celebrate Independence Day in person if everyone continues to do their due diligence.
COVID-19 Anniversary Speech
President Biden’s speech garnered hope but fear at the same time. Biden’s specific periods for improvements seemed unrealistic because of what citizens have encountered in the past year with COVID-19.
In addition on the COVID-19 anniversary speech, Biden spoke about the other issues occurring in the United States. Biden noted the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. This group has been targeted in the United States because the virus came from China. Some Americans have associated Asian Americans with the virus, which has created tension in the country.
Biden said, “At this very moment, so many of our fellow Americans are on the front lines of this pandemic, trying to save lives. And still – still – they are forced to live in fear for their lives, just walking down streets in America. It’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it must stop.”
The President spoke directly to the nation, asking the people to continue fighting the virus through social distancing and mask-wearing. This speech drew comparisons to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ‘Fireside Chats,’ where he used the radio to speak to the people during the Great Depression.
The Gamble
President Biden made himself subject to a lot of criticism if the dates he declared do not come to fruition. It was an optimistic choice, but it does not seem likely that all people aged 18 and up will be able to sign up for vaccination by May 1st. There are a lot of states who are still working on vaccinating the elderly. Therefore, a lot of work will have to be accomplished in the coming month to meet the May 1st deadline.
Biden’s Fourth of July promise also is dependent on the vaccination process. If the vaccinations are pushed beyond May 1st, Independence Day gatherings could still be super spreader events. As the country has demonstrated in the past months, people are ready to return to normalcy.
Whether President Biden encourages Independence Day celebrations or not, they will still happen in the United States. COVID-19 cases are dropping throughout the nation, and the curve has been flattened, so people are ready to get back to normalcy.
President Biden has the original goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office. This goal should be accomplished on day 60 if the same vaccination rate continues per day.
There are still 1,000 people dying per day from the virus, so the rate of vaccinations needs to be enhanced. Biden plans to utilize 4,000 active-duty troops to accelerate the vaccination effort. Over the next few weeks, it will become clear if May 1st is a realistic timeline for everyone to have vaccine accessibility.
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