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WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden acted swiftly to coordinate a federal effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday (January 21), his first full day in office, with steps to expand testing and vaccines and increase the use of masks.
At an event at the White House, Biden said the launch of the vaccine in the United States has been a “regrettable failure so far.”
“Things will keep getting worse before they get better,” Biden said of the number of victims of the virus.
He also made a personal request to all Americans to wear masks for the next 99 days to stop the spread of the virus, which has killed 405,000 people and infected more than 24 million in the United States, the highest number in the world. .
Millions of Americans have been out of work due to the closures.
“This is a wartime company,” Biden said.
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Biden’s tone and plans were in stark contrast to his predecessor, Donald Trump, who often sought to minimize the severity of the crisis and left much of the planning to individual states, resulting in a patchwork of policies across the country. .
Executive orders signed by Biden on Thursday will establish a COVID-19 testing board to accelerate testing, address supply shortages, establish protocols for international travelers and direct resources to the most affected minority communities.
“We are in a national emergency. It is time that we treat it as such,” he said, adding that he wants to restore public confidence.
The order calls on agencies to “take immediate action” to require masks at airports, commercial planes, trains, public maritime vessels, including ferries, intercity bus services and all public transportation, but gives them the ability to issue waivers.
In addition to needing a negative COVID-19 test result before flying, travelers to the US will now need to self-quarantine upon arrival, Biden said.
The CDC recommends a seven-day quarantine for people arriving in the United States from almost every country.
Biden is also directing agencies to reconsider international contact tracing requirements for passengers bound for the US, which was dropped by the Trump White House, as well as the possibility of conducting COVID-tracking tests. 19 for travelers after they arrive in the United States.
The administration will expand vaccine manufacturing and its power to purchase more vaccines “taking full advantage of contractual authorities, including the Defense Production Act,” according to the White House plan.
The Trump administration had invoked the law, which gives the president broad authority to “accelerate and expand the supply of resources from the American industrial base” for protective equipment, but never signed it into law for vaccine testing or production.
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Biden will also direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse states and tribes in full for costs associated with efforts related to the National Guard to combat the virus.
The measure restores “full reimbursement” from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund for costs related to reopening schools. FEMA funds are generally dispersed after hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters.
Biden has pledged to provide 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine during his first 100 days in office. His plan aims to increase vaccinations by opening up eligibility to more people, such as teachers and dependents.
As of Thursday morning, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they had administered 17.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine out of the 38 million distributed.
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The virus cast a shadow over Biden’s inauguration on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday. The crowds, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands for a president’s swearing-in, stayed away for fear of spreading infections.
The Democratic president has put the fight against the disease at the top of an overwhelming list of challenges, including rebuilding a devastated economy and fighting racial injustice, and has proposed a COVID-19 package of 1.9 trillion dollars. dollars that would improve unemployment benefits and provide direct cash payments to households to ease the financial pain of the coronavirus.
The House plans to put the bill to a vote in the first week of February, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.
Some of Biden’s early initiatives could get bogged down in Congress, where the Senate is considering how to proceed with Trump’s impeachment. The House of Representatives indicted Trump last week for inciting an insurrection in a deadly assault on the Capitol. Democrats now have a narrow majority in both houses.
A source familiar with the planning said Pelosi could send the impeachment article to the Senate on Friday. Under Senate rules, the trial would begin one day after that happens.
Some Democrats have hinted that a delay could be engineered to keep Biden’s agenda and cabinet appointments on track.
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