President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, released their Christmas message on Friday morning. In their best wishes for the season, the Bidens also asked Americans to stay home this year and not hold large family gatherings.
The video, posted on Joe Biden’s official Twitter, had 1.7 million views at the time of this writing. The video shows the Bidens sharing a sofa, approaching the camera.
“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. Jill and I wish you and your family peace, joy, health and happiness this season. But we know that for many of you in our nation, this has been a very difficult year,” said Joe Biden opening the video. “Many of our fellow Americans are struggling to find work, literally putting food on the table, paying rent or a mortgage. We are reminded that we are on this Earth to take care of each other, give what we can and be a source of help and hope for friends and strangers. “
Dr. Jill Biden spoke about this year’s losses, but shared a sense of hope, thanks to the new COVID-19 vaccines recently approved by the FDA, as well as Americans helping others.
“Many families are facing their first Christmas after losing a loved one. And Joe and I know that sadness. And we know how, in times of mourning, a kind word can mean a lot. This is also a time of gratitude. We are very grateful for the front line and the essential workers who have put themselves at risk for all of us. And by the scientists and researchers who have worked to provide vaccines that are an incredible scientific breakthrough. And we are thinking about our service members for a long time at home and the loved ones who miss them. Our family knows your sacrifice and our hearts are with you, “she said.
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Joe Biden then urged people to stay home in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We usually have 20-25 people for dinner on Christmas Eve, but not this year. Well, we’re going to miss our family, but that’s what we need to do to keep our family safe. We hope you will consider limiting travel and the size of family gatherings this year too, “he said.
Dr. Jill Biden added: “Even when our celebrations wane, we know it won’t be forever and brighter days will come soon. On this holy day, we remember that love and joy can be shared across the most distant distances, we celebrate separately , but not alone, and we look forward to the next year, when we will be able to come together with a renewed appreciation for the people and traditions we love. “
Despite the pleas of the Bidens and the scientists, many people are not heeding the warnings to stay home. TSA said more than 1 million travelers were checked at airports on Wednesday, the busiest day for air travel since March. Another 3 million were scanned over the weekend, and the number of air passengers on Tuesday was almost 1 million.
COVID-19 cases and deaths have increased dramatically this winter. The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center reports an increase in cases on December 10, with nearly 1.5 million new cases reported that day. On Friday at 5:22 pm, Johns Hopkins reported 330,149 deaths in total in the United States and 18.7 million in total cases in the USA. Hospitalizations in the U.S. have been at record levels since early November.
The University of Washington Institute of Health Metrics and Assessment predicted that by January 10, there could be more than 1 million new cases per day in the United States. However, that number can be reduced to more than half with the “rapid launch of the vaccine,” said the institute.