On Thursday, President Joe Biden who was recently sworn into office warned Americans that the coronavirus death toll in the United States could top 500,000 by February.
“Let me be very clear: Things are going to continue to get worse before they get better, and let me be equally clear: We will get through this. We will defeat this pandemic,” he added.
President Joe Biden signs compulsory mandate concerning mask-wearing in public spaces
As part of his coronavirus response plan, Joe Biden approved an order mandating masks in airports, planes, trains, ships, and intercity buses. It follows the Wednesday signing of his first executive order, which required that masks must be used on federal property.
He also promised to get 100 million COVID-19 shots into the arms of the American people by his 100th day in office. To achieve this, he directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin constructing federally supported community vaccination centers. The goal is to have 100 centers in operation within the next month.
The vaccine rollout in the United States has already increased, averaging 1 million doses a day. The average number of vaccines administered over the past week alone was about 936,000, according to a tally using data from state reports and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Thursday, the number was 1,057,369.
Biden plans to create a pandemic testing board
The creation of a pandemic testing board will lead to an increase in the number and availability of coronavirus tests.
The new administration also plans to give directives into research that will lead to new treatments for COVID-19, strengthen the collection and analysis of patient's data, and direct the federal occupational safety agency to release and enforce guidelines to protect workers from getting infected.
The White House also plans to persuade Congress to cover the entire cost for states to vaccinate low-income residents.