Coronavirus: in July 4 speech, Joe Biden declares US success in beating back pandemic
- President Biden celebrates Independence Day with upbeat assessment of Covid-19 situation in US
- US fell short of Biden’s goal to have 70 per cent of US adults vaccinated with at least one shot
Speaking at a party on the White House’s South Lawn with more than 1,000 people in attendance, Biden declared that the US had achieved “independence” from the coronavirus, though he cautioned against complacency with more transmissible variants circulating in the country.
“Today, all across this nation, we can say with confidence: America is coming back together,” Biden said to a cheer from the invited guests. “Today, while the virus hasn’t been vanquished, we know this: it no longer controls our lives, it no longer paralyses our nation and it’s within our power to make sure it never does so again.”
He appealed for Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get their shots, noting that the country’s battle against the virus had been costly, with more than 603,000 Americans dead.
Biden’s optimistic mood reflects the plunge in coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths since he took office and a rebound that has made the US economy one of the strongest in the world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that more than 850,000 jobs were created in June. And Biden’s White House party followed a trip to Michigan on Saturday where he sought to give a political shot in the arm to Democratic allies ahead of 2022 midterm elections.