During an event at the White House on the occasion of July 4, US President Joe Biden made comparisons between the independence of the United States, celebrated this Sunday (4), and the current situation of the country in relation to at Covid.
“This year, July 4 is a special day of celebration as we are emerging from a year of pandemic, a year of isolation, a year of pain, a year of fear,” Biden said.
“Today we are closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus. The battle against Covid-19 is not over, we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Democrat also praised scientific and vaccine efforts to defeat the virus and recalled the arrival of the delta variant, the most contagious strain of the coronavirus, asking Americans to be vaccinated.
During his speech, Biden also thanked those present, the American military on mission abroad and reflected on the more than 600,000 killed by the Covid-19.
The ceremony brought together guests – workers who helped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and military family members, many of whom were vaccinated and were able to celebrate without masks, according to official guidelines. In addition to Biden’s speech, a traditional 17-minute fireworks display is also part of the celebration.
In recent months, the Fourth of July holiday was expected to gain prominence on the calendar as a holiday celebrated in the absence of many restrictions. With the advance of vaccination, the intention of the White House was to commemorate the date as the start of the “summer of freedom” and also as a mark of “independence from Covid-19”.
Despite this, there are still concerns about the new delta variant, the most contagious strain of the coronavirus, and the slowdown in the vaccination rate in the country.
In March, the president was already announcing July 4 as the turning point in the health crisis, but was considering smaller celebrations, with family and small groups of friends. In early May, after successfully administering 200 million doses in his first 100 days in office, he surrounded himself with optimism and promised that 70% of adults would be vaccinated with a dose by the feast of the year. ‘independence.
But the Democrat failed to meet the goal of vaccinating 70% of adults with at least one dose until Sunday, as he had promised three months ago – the rate was around 67%. If you count the fully vaccinated, the level is 58% among those who are 18 years of age or older, and 47% if you consider the entire American population.
The rapid spread of the delta variant, the most contagious strain of coronavirus, has also raised concerns among public health officials, who fear further outbreaks may occur in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain relatively weak.