This week shifted to a steady increase in cases – vividly reminiscent of the last three surgeons – that worried administrative officials who feared backside.
Fighting tears, Wale Lansky’s dramatic warning during a White House coronavirus briefing on Monday and his plea to “hold on for a while” surprised the country in its description of the epidemic, with the current pace of nearly three percent among most Americans who have not yet been vaccinated. Millions of shots per day may not be enough.
His message initially alerted some members of the administration, and according to those familiar with the matter, sparked a mild scream among some of Biden’s advisers. Others praised him in public. In both cases, his words reflected the White House’s strong understanding that the extra preparations they were making were ultimately on the horizon – a “sinking feeling”, an administration official said, that things could get worse before they get better. Is. .
Within the White House, a balanced act is now underway amid maintaining optimism that an accelerated vaccination program will eventually bring the crisis closer, while raising warnings of a possible fourth boom fueled by new variants in public.
“A lot of Americans are behaving the way their fight is over,” Biden said over the weekend at the White House on Friday. At the time, he had improved in numbers from his team and there was growing concern about that. , According to aides. “Cases are on the rise again. The virus is spreading more rapidly in many places. Deaths have occurred in some states. So I ask you, I urge you: do not give back to achieve the progress we have made.”
“We have to keep reminding people – as I try and others try – just because you’ve got 100 million people who have been vaccinated for the first time, it also means you have 150 million adults. “It’s not over yet,” Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the White House Coronavirus Response Team, said in an interview. “You want people to be less afraid – that’s fine – but you also want people to be careful and discreet.” That many people have not yet been vaccinated. ”
Slavitt said the U.S. Cases that the president and the White House expect will eventually escalate before the vaccine-induced mob reaches immunity. But he said the U.S. response to the second vaccine would be different than before in the epidemic, largely thanks to this vaccine.
Stranger looms
The White House is still unaware of the epidemic response and the possibility of another surge, with people taking unprepared rates for vaccine effectiveness against future forms.
The biggest uncertainty now, officials said, is that an increase in cases will lead to an increase in hospital admissions and deaths that mark earlier spikes. For weeks, officials have hoped that by vaccinating a majority of more than 65 people, they could stem the rise in hospital admissions and deaths. But due to the spread of B1.1..7 variant, it has been questioned.
In Michigan, where the variety is widespread and cases are on the rise, predictions about the outcome of the second surge have been shattered by the hospitalization of younger adults.
“Over time, Kovid will look even more different than he did in 2020,” an administration official said. “The virus hasn’t stabilized, so what it looks like will change its future.”
White House officials say they are preparing for the anonymity, looking for leading indicators such as test positivity rates and emergency room visits, as well as vaccination rates based on region and population. They’ve mapped dozens of scenarios – some of which are booming, some are fully developed – and in the past week, White House officials have been in more frequent contact with officials in emerging hotspots like Michigan. New York.
In addition to issuing its public and private warnings to public and state and local leaders, the administration has continued a series of vaccination efforts to increase cases, including sending more doses directly to pharmacies and ensuring more Americans qualify. To receive shots.
“We are on a serious path,” the senior administration official said. “Every day, we vaccinate an additional 2 to 3 million people. Every day, you put cushions for re-ound gaps.”
But even as the president and his superiors raise their warnings, the limits of their power are clear.
Speaking to U.S. governors at the weekly conference conference in the wake of Vale Lansky’s warning, administration officials reiterated concerns about the reopening too soon, people familiar with the call said. But he received little indication from state leaders that he would reconsider his plans. Some even pipe up with questions for the CDC.
Republican, Arkansas Govt. Asa Hutchinson asked the CDC director whether to suspend reopening plans for his state if its population density differs from others, people familiar with the call said. A few hours later, he announced that he was ending his state’s mask command.
Reopening coming
Despite the administration’s warnings, it is only the governors who are pushing for a return to normalcy. Figures released by the Transportation Security Administration on Thursday show that the U.S. Screening more than 1 million people at the airport for 14 consecutive days, continuing a two-week spring break in passengers, U.S. health officials were also disappointing people with the trip. Delta has become the last major U.S. carrier to end its practice of closing middle seats this week as demand has increased.
Other venues have also said they will start operating at full capacity, including the Texas Rangers, who planned to open their Globe Life Field to its full capacity of 40,300 people for the opening day this week. He reprimanded Biden himself in an interview with ESPN.
“I think that’s a mistake,” Biden said. “They should listen to scientists and experts, Dr. Fawcett. But I don’t think he’s responsible.”
White House officials have seen panic in Europe, where infections have risen amid a rapid spread of the highly transmissible variant known for the first time in Britain, and hospitals are moving towards capacity. Officials hope the main difference is the U.S. Will prevent a similar situation in, it is a vaccine rollout; In most European countries, including France, shots remain slow in arms.
By Friday, the U.S. The rollout has progressed well in comparison and a record seven million doses per day reaching a seven-day average. The administration has announced dozens of federal vaccination sites and Biden said last month that every adult American would be eligible to receive shots after May 1.
Now that about 0% of adults have received at least one dose, however, the administration is adopting a strict approach to vaccinating certain groups of people. They have launched a massive education effort that was created to reassure people that they will hesitate that the products are both safe and the key to bringing the country back to normal.
Vaccine pressure
In addition to TV commercials, the administration’s vaccine confidence campaign revolves around efforts to equip reliable voices with information and resources related to the safety and effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccine. Those post-research efforts were honored by the administration as Americans rely on doctors and community leaders as they decide to get vaccinated.
About 300 organizations, including effort cutter groups, sports leagues, rural organizations, unions and religious groups, have signed up to be part of that effort, which the administration calls Covid-19 Community Corps.
“We are at a stage where with the growing number of vaccine supplies, we are at the moment where we can really hold this thing,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at the event on Thursday morning.
Still, vaccine supply issues remain. The combination at Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine manufacturing plant, which was first reported by the White House about the first week, caused an internal hurdle for most Americans to progress toward Biden’s goal of delivering their summer shots.
Administration officials stressed the issue of quality with emergency biosolutions, the Baltimore manufacturing plant, the plant making the Covid-19 vaccine material for Johnson & Johnson and others, will not affect Biden’s ultimate goal of making the vaccine available to all Americans by May. And the White House said the company has told them it still expects 24 million doses of their vaccine next month – although officials have warned that relying on Johnson and Johnson raises questions about the timing of their production.
Officials were frustrated with the development, which U.S. The flag was saluted for administration by the Food and Drug Administration. On Thursday, the FDA was seeking more information from Johnson and Johnson on what went wrong in vaccine production, a source told CNN.
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