On the same day the CDC released new guidelines on activities that COVID-vaccinated people can safely resume, the White House announced President Joe Biden’s first prime-time national address will be on the coronavirus this Thursday.
“He will discuss the many sacrifices the American people have made over the last year and the grave loss communities and families across the country have suffered,” the White House said Monday.
According to a Capitol Hill reporter, the administration also said it was not involved in developing the CDC guidelines on what activities are safe for vaccinated individuals.
White House says it was not involved in developing the CDC guidelines on what activities are safe for vaccinated individuals and directed a question about what this means for travel restrictions to the agency.
— Francesca Chambers (@fran_chambers) March 8, 2021
The CDC is still recommending fully vaccinated people continue to take COVID-19 precautions when in public, when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple other households, and when around unvaccinated people who are at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.
As the U.S. approaches 30 million confirmed coronavirus cases while some states are relaxing coronavirus restrictions, some health experts are warning of another COVID surge.
On Monday, figures recorded by Johns Hopkins University of Medicine showed the U.S. with more than 29 million COVID cases, along with more than 525,000 deaths. The nation leads the world in both categories.
While deaths and new confirmed cases have plummeted from their January peaks nationwide, they’re still running at high levels, while outbreak indicators in some states have risen in recent weeks.
Public health experts tracking the trajectory of more contagious virus variants have warned that lifting restrictions too soon could lead to another lethal wave of infections. Although vaccination drives are accelerating as drug manufacturers ramp up production, many essential workers are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Mississippi and other states.
“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in their own homes. Everyone – even those who are vaccinated – should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings. As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.”
During a news briefing Monday, she called the guidance a “first step” toward restoring normalcy in how people come together. Walensky said more activities would be OK’d for vaccinated individuals once caseloads and deaths decline, more Americans are vaccinated, and as more science emerges on the ability of those who have been vaccinated to get and spread the virus.
Biden has yet to hold a formal news briefing or schedule a date for his first joint session address to Congress.
According to a poll last week from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Overall, 70% of Americans back the Democratic president’s handling of the virus response, including 44% of Republicans.
Less than two months into his presidency, Biden has made the pandemic his central focus, urging Americans to follow stringent social distancing and mask guidelines and vowing to speed up distribution of critical vaccines. He’s also argued that until the spread of the virus is under control, the economy won’t fully recover.
Biden’s handling of the pandemic may well determine the course of his presidency and the political capital he has to pursue significant legislation on other matters.
Biden has been purposefully cautious in predicting when life in the U.S. will return to a pre-pandemic normal. Even as he promises that the U.S. will have enough vaccine supply for all Americans by the end of May, he has said it could be the end of the year or early 2022 before Americans can stop wearing masks or fully return to normal activities.
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