Coronavirus: Joe Biden offers US hope for July 4, but ‘fight’ not over
- Joe Biden gives first prime-time address to the country since his inauguration
- President offered Americans vision for return to some normalcy this summer
US President Joe Biden on Thursday offered his coronavirus-weary nation a tantalising glimpse of an almost normal July 4, outlining in a speech how the United States can defeat the virus if people stay united on prevention measures and get vaccinated.
“This fight is far from over,” Biden said in his first televised prime-time address as president, marking 12 months since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic.
Delivering an emotional tribute to the more than 530,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19 over the last 12 months, Biden said “While it was different for everyone, we all lost something: a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice”.
But he raised hope that the country hardest hit by the global pandemic could overcome the virus if Americans work together and follow health experts’ guidelines on wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
“Just as we are emerging from a dark winter into a hopeful spring and summer is not the time to not stick with the rules,” he said.
If Americans stay the course, they may be able to mark their cherished July 4 national holiday in somewhat normal circumstances, he said.