President Joe Biden addresses the nation during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House. Photo / AP
President Joe Biden addresses the nation during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House. Photo / AP
One year after the United States was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden used his first prime-time address to outline his plan to make all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1 and get the country "closer to normal" by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.
Speaking in the White House East Room, Biden announced moves to speed vaccinations, including directing that states lift qualifications for vaccinations by May 1, and expand the number of places and categories of people who can give shots. His aim: let Americans gather at least in small groups for the Independence Day holiday.
Biden was marking one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.
"While it was different for everyone, we all lost something," Biden said, calling the past year "a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice".
As supplies of the vaccines continue to increase, Biden announced that he will direct states and territories to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1.
The US is expecting delivery of enough doses for those 255 million adults by the end of that month, but the process of actually administering those doses will take time.
BREAKING: President Biden announces he is directing all states, tribes and territories to make all U.S. adults 18 and older eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1 https://t.co/0pPOGuHGxTpic.twitter.com/edVsbiU60A
Even as he offers optimism, Biden made clear that the July 4 timetable requires co-operation from Americans to continue to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and follow federal guidelines meant to slow the spread of the virus in the near term. He also called on them roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as they're eligible.
"This is a whole of country effort," White House chief of staff Ron Klain told CNN. "The President's deploying our entire government to do its part. The American people are going to have to do their part, too."
Biden also condemned the violence Asian Americans have endured since the start of the pandemic, saying "it is wrong, it is un-American and it must stop". The President lamented an uptick of reports of "vicious" attacks and harassment against Asian Americans that's been reported since the start of the pandemic one year ago.
Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly used xenophobic terms to refer to the virus that originated in China's Wuhan province. Some critics say the former president's language has stoked the violence against Asian Americans.
Biden calls out the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic, saying they're "attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated"
"They are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America. It's wrong, it's un-American and it must stop" pic.twitter.com/GRkWzXWzd2
The speech came hours after Biden on Thursday (US time) signed into law a US$1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help defeat the virus, nurse the economy back to health and deliver direct aid to Americans in need. Some direct cheques could begin arriving this weekend.
"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country," Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.
Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions providing up to US$1400 in direct payments and extending US$300 weekly emergency unemployment benefits into early September.
Also included are expanded tax credits over the next year for children, childcare and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signalled they'd like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, feeding programmes and people's utility bills.
President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan, a coronavirus relief package. Photo / AP
The US House of Representatives gave final approval to the sweeping legislation by a near party-line 220-211 vote on Wednesday, seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill.
Republicans in both chambers opposed the legislation unanimously, characterising it as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.
Biden originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House more quickly than anticipated.
"We want to move as fast as possible," tweeted chief of staff Klain.
