“We share the feelings of Pope Francis, who said that being vaccinated is a moral obligation, which can save your life and the lives of others,” said the president in a statement.
posted video on your Twitter account. “By getting vaccinated and encouraging your congregations and communities to get vaccinated, not only can we beat this virus, but we can also speed up the day when we can celebrate the holidays together.”
The First Lady said there is “hope around us” and mentioned families receiving financial aid, companies recovering and an increase in the number of Americans receiving vaccines against the virus.
The Bidens’ message comes as health officials rush to vaccinate as many Americans as possible amid concerns about a potential fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Saturday that more than 4 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine were administered in 24 hours, setting a new record and raising the seven-day average to more than 3 million a day .
Across the country, about 165 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, according to data published on Sunday by the agency. About 32% of the population – 106 million people – received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 18.5% of the population – about 61 million people – were fully vaccinated. Data published by the CDC may be delayed and doses may not have been administered on the reported day.
Biden is the second Catholic president in the history of the United States, and the weekly mass is expected to be a fixed part of his schedule. This is a level of devotion to regular religious services not seen by recent presidents, who were professing Christians, but attended church intermittently or worshiped privately while in office.
The president, who is spending the holiday at Camp David with his family, has shown empathy for families across the country who are not celebrating together because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The virus is not yet gone and many of us still feel the longing and loneliness of the distance,” said Biden. “For the second year, most will be away from their families, friends, full congregations that fill us with joy. However, as the Gospel of John reminds us, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also
launched a video wish the country a happy Easter, saying that there is “always reason to hope”.
“Today, we are celebrating hope and our faith in renewal. Hope in the number of people now vaccinated, now more secure against this virus,” said Harris. “Hope for children who are returning to school for the first time in a year. Hope for grandparents who can hug their grandchildren for the first time in a year. Hope for a better tomorrow for all of us.”
She added that next year, Biden and the first lady are looking forward to starting the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, which has been canceled yet again because of the pandemic.
This story has been updated.
CNN’s Chandelis Duster, Madeline Holcombe, Ray Sanchez and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.
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