“Covid-19 Brought One Year of Collective Suffering for Us”, says President Joe Biden

On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 as a global pandemic. Since then more than 2.6 million people have died around the world of which 20% are Americans. President Joe Biden says that it is one year of collective suffering for the United States of which many lives (and also jobs) were lost. 

While addressing his citizens on Thursday, 11th of March 2021 (exactly one year into the pandemic), the President outlined the steps his administration is taking to defeat the virus, including exceeding his own target of 100 vaccine shots in his first 100 days. According to President Joe Biden, “We’re actually on track to reach this goal of 100 million shots and arms on my 60th day in the office. No other country in the world has done this. 

Mr President says he is directing all states to make all American adults eligible to get the vaccine by May 1st. However, some Americans are hesitant and won’t accept the Vaccine, and the President claims this is one of the challenges he is facing. He added that State governments are also ignoring Federal health protocol guidelines including Texas which recently lifted its mass mandate. He, therefore, encouraged people to continue the use of face masks. 

Some analysts have said that the reason why there are divided opinions on the Covid-19 Vaccines and maintaining health protocols is due to politicisation. Katherine Baicker of Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago confirmed that people have been getting such mixed messages about public health. According to her, “The climate has been so polarized that there is a really distressing lack of public faith in science in public health messaging. It’s really understandable given the mixed messages that people have heard”. 

Earlier on Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a 1.9 Trillion Coronavirus relief Bill into law. The stimulus package was passed by Congress without Republican support. Kevin McCarthy, the Leader of the Republican Minority House says it’s a long list of left-wing priorities that predate the pandemic. 

President Biden will travel around the United States next week to tout the law bringing Covid-19 relief in what his administration calls, “The Help is here to all”.