On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden urged states to halt re-opening efforts while the CDC warned of "impending doom" as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, jeopardizing efforts to end the pandemic. As his team speeds up the push to bring the COVID-19 vaccines into people's arms, Biden said 90 percent of U.S. adults would be prepared for vaccination by April 19, and 90 percent of Americans would have a vaccination center within five miles of their homes by then.
President Biden, CDC worry of 'COVID-19 impending doom'
However, the president released a stark warning: cases are increasing, hospitalizations are on the rise, as well as deaths from the outbreak, which has now taken the lives of nearly 550,000 individuals in the U.S.
When pandemic fatigue sets in, certain parts of the U.S. have done away with mask mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions entirely, and Americans have gotten out to travel more. These relaxations in the COVID-19 restrictions came despite thousands continuing to die every week from the disease. Officials in the United States are concerned that a fourth big wave in cases is on the way, as per The Telegraph via MSN.
In an emotional speech, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), encouraged public officials and others to spread the news about the severity of the situation. On Sunday, the overall number of COVID-19 cases in the United States reached 30 million, with a seven-day average of just less than 60,000 new cases each day, she added. When compared to the previous seven-day cycle, this reflects a 10 percent rise.
Officials linked the rise to states opening up their economies and unnecessarily loosening pandemic restrictions, as well as an increase in travel. Higher-risk behaviors have risen to near-2019 heights in fast-reopening states like Texas and Florida. In April, the Texas Rangers baseball team will make maximum capacity at their 40,000-seat stadium.
Biden, CDC warns of COVID-19 rebound if the U.S. relaxes
President Joe Biden and a top health official cautioned on Monday that too many Americans are celebrating virus victory too soon, urging that mask requirement and other restrictions are retained or enforced to prevent a "fourth surge" of COVID-19. If people keep easing off, the CDC director said she has a sense of "impending doom."
The double dose of caution came when Biden announced optimistic new measures to extend coronavirus vaccines, with all adults being eligible over the next five weeks. Biden announced plans to increase the number of retail pharmacies that prescribe vaccinations and investments to make it easier for Americans to get to vaccination sites. However, stark reminders about the possibility of another surge of cases offset the optimism, as per HuffPost.
"If we let our guard down now, we can see the virus getting worse, not better," Biden told the country from the White House later Monday. People are relaxing their safety protocols, which is a negative thing." Biden made a direct plea to governors, state, and local officials to reinstate mask-wearing regulations if they had been removed and urged them to postpone efforts to relax virus-related restrictions further.
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White House press secretary says Biden will continue flying
The White House announced on Monday that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would continue to fly despite the CDC's warning against non-essential flights due to an increase in coronavirus cases. At her daily briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, "Well, I would presume the president flies - like the vice president - on a private plane."
She also took a dig at former President Donald Trump, who hosted several campaign rallies during the 2020 election season over health experts' warnings. As a concession to the pandemic, the Trump campaign organized rallies outside but did not require attendees to wear face masks, claiming that it was a personal choice.
She said that Biden would continue to visit his private home in Wilmington, Delaware, as he did over the weekend. The White House's travel stand came when the CDC director made an impassioned plea to Americans not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19, Daily Mail reported.
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