WASHINGTON – With an explosion of executive orders, President Joe Biden notified on Thursday that America’s war against COVID-19 is under new command, promising the nation’s eager progress to reduce infections and lift the siege it suffered for almost one year.
The 10 orders signed by Biden aim to take a leap forward in his national strategy COVID-19 to increase vaccinations and tests, lay the groundwork for the reopening of schools and businesses and immediately increase the use of masks – including the requirement that Americans wear mask for traveling. A guideline calls for addressing health inequalities in minority communities hard hit by the virus.
“We didn’t get into this mess overnight and it will take months to reverse that,” said Biden at the White House. Deaths in the U.S. exceeded 400,000 and he noted projections that could reach 500,000 in a month.
But then, looking directly into the TV camera, Biden declared, “For a nation waiting for action, let me be clear on this point: help is on the way.”
The new president promised to take far more aggressive measures to contain the virus than its predecessor, starting with strict adherence to public health guidelines. A fundamental difference is that, under Biden, the federal government is taking full responsibility for COVID’s response. And instead of delegating major tasks to states, he is offering to help them with technical support and federal money.
He faces steep obstacles, with the virus actively spreading in most states, shortages of vaccines, slow progress in distribution and political uncertainty about whether Republicans in Congress will help him approve a $ 1.9 trillion economic aid package. response to COVID.
Adding to the challenges are virus mutations, particularly one that emerged in South Africa, which could make vaccines a little less effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at the White House briefing that “we are paying close attention to this”. Biden’s plan includes an expansion of research capabilities to map the genetic structure of new variants.
On Thursday, an influential group with Republican office holders supported the president’s strategy. The United States Chamber of Commerce said, “We support the new government’s focus on removing obstacles to vaccinations and reopening schools, which are important steps to accelerating a broad-based economic recovery for all Americans.”
Biden officials said they were hurt by the Trump administration’s lack of cooperation during the transition. They say they do not have a complete understanding of the actions of their predecessors in the distribution of vaccines. And they face a litany of complaints from states that say they are not getting enough vaccine, even when they are being asked to vaccinate more categories of people.
The Biden mask order for travel applies to airports and airplanes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transport. Foreign travelers must present a negative COVID-19 test before leaving for the USA and must be quarantined upon arrival. Biden has already determined masks on federal properties.
Although airlines, Amtrak and other transportation providers now demand masks, Biden’s order makes it a federal mandate, leaving little room for maneuver for passengers tempted to discuss their rights. The action was applauded by airline unions and supported by a large commercial group in the sector.
This marks a sharp break with the culture of President Donald Trump’s administration, under which masks were optional, and Trump made a point of going without a mask and hosting large gatherings of like-minded supporters. Science has shown that masks, used correctly, reduce the transmission of coronavirus.
Biden said his government’s decisions about the coronavirus would be based on science, not politics.
Biden is looking to expand the availability of tests and vaccines, with a target of 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office. But some independent experts say his government should strive for two or three times that number. Even with the slow pace of vaccinations, the US is already closing at 1 million vaccines a day.
“It’s a disappointingly low standard,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a specialist in public health and emergency medicine.
Asked about it at the White House on Thursday, Biden told a reporter: “When I announced it, you all said it was not possible. Come on, give me a break, man. “
Fauci told reporters that the United States may return to “a degree of normality” with the fall, if the vaccination campaign goes well. Achieving widespread or “herd” immunity would require vaccination of up to 280 million people.
Biden instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start installing vaccination centers, with the goal of having 100 up and running in one month. He is ordering the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to start a program to make vaccines available in local pharmacies starting next month, based on a plan drawn up by the Trump administration. And he is launching an effort to train more people to manage the shots.
Biden has set a goal of reopening most K-8 schools in their first 100 days, and is ordering the Education and Health and Human Services departments to provide clear guidelines for reopening them safely. States could also use the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to help reopen schools.
Keeping schools and daycare centers up and running will help ease the pressure on the United States economy, making it easier for parents to return to their jobs and for restaurants to find customers for lunch.
But government officials emphasized that reopening schools safely depends on further testing.
Biden is giving government agencies the green light to use the Cold War era Defense Production Act. It allows the government to direct private industry to produce the supplies needed in times of national emergency. In that case, it can be anything from cotton swabs to masks and certain chemicals.
“We don’t have enough testing capacity in this country,” said White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients.
The Biden plan estimates that a national expanded testing vaccination strategy requires $ 160 billion, and he wants an additional $ 170 billion to help reopen schools and universities.
As part of his strategy, Biden ordered the establishment of a Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government’s response. Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans carried a heavy burden of deaths and illnesses caused by the virus. Research has shown that vaccine hesitation is greatest among African Americans, a problem the government plans to address through an educational campaign.
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Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Josh Boak contributed to this report.