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President Joe Biden blended the nation’s birthday party with a celebration of liberation from the worst of the pandemic on Sunday, calling vaccination “the most patriotic thing you can do.” He tempered the progress against COVID-19 by emphasising that the virus’s fight was far from ended.
“Today, all throughout this country, we can confidently say: America is coming back together,” Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House, where he received over 1,000 service members, first responders, and other guests for a July Fourth celebration.
It was a long-awaited chance for Biden to tout the success of the vaccine effort he championed. The gathering was the largest of his administration, and it was the clearest sign yet that the United States had entered a new phase of virus response. The country also shifted from vaccinating Americans to promoting world health, shifting from a national emergency to a localised crisis of individual responsibility.
Before fireworks lit up the sky over the National Mall, the president remarked, “This year the Fourth of July is a day of exceptional celebration because we’re emerging from the shadows of a year of epidemic and isolation, a year of suffering, fear, and heartbreaking loss.”
“Today we’re closer than ever to declaring our freedom from a deadly virus,” Biden added, referring to the lockdowns that closed businesses, put millions out of work, and separated untold numbers of families. That doesn’t mean the fight against COVID-19 is ended. We still have a lot of work to do.”
After 16 months of disruption caused by the pandemic and more than 605,000 deaths, Biden wanted other Americans to rejoice as well. The White House urged people to congregate and watch fireworks displays across the country to commemorate the country’s “independence” from the virus, as if plucked from a Hollywood script.
And there was reason to be optimistic: since the outbreak began, COVID-19 cases and deaths have been at or near record lows, thanks to the vigorous US immunisation effort. Businesses and restaurants reopened, hiring resumed, and travel resumed at pre-pandemic levels.
Biden’s optimism, on the other hand, was calibrated for good cause. According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccination goal he set with considerable fanfare for July Fourth — 70 percent of the adult population immunised — fell short at 67 percent. The divide between strongly vaccinated populations where the virus was fading out and less-vaccinated communities where a more contagious version of the virus was already gaining hold was more worrying to officials.
COVID-19 continues to kill more than 200 Americans every day, while tens of millions of people have refused to get the life-saving immunizations.
Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, an infectious disease physician at the John Cochran VA Medical Center and the St. Louis Board of Health, stated, “If you’ve got the vaccine, you’re doing fantastic.” “You should be frightened if you haven’t received the vaccine, and that’s just the bottom line; there’s no easy way to cut it.”
“However, that does not negate the fact that this country is in a far better place,” she added.
Despite this, around 1,000 counties have a vaccination rate below 30%, and the federal government is warning that when virus restrictions relax, they could become the next hotspots.
The White House dispatched “surge” teams to Colorado and Missouri. Additional teams of infectious disease experts, public health officials, doctors, and nurses were preparing to help in other areas where low vaccination rates and rising cases were causing problems.
When asked about the risks of conducting Fourth of July gatherings in locations with high pockets of unvaccinated people, White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded that “if individuals get vaccinated in those areas, they are protected.”
In televised interviews, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients stated the barbecue and fireworks watching on the South Lawn were “done the right manner” and “compliant” with CDC guidelines. The White House did not require vaccinations, but attendees were asked to take a COVID-19 test and wear a mask if they were not completely vaccinated.
“As much work as there is left to be done, it is critical to appreciate the victories,” Davis added. “I’m fine with us enjoying those moments of joy and celebration as long as we get up the next day, go to work, and prioritise vaccine distribution equity.”
