US President Biden declares Covid pandemic 'over'
Washington (US), September 19: US President Joe Biden announced that the Covid-19 pandemic is over during CBS' '60 minutes' programme, The Washington Post reported.
In response to a question on the Covid outbreak, Biden stated, "The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lotta work on it. It's-- but the pandemic is over. if you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it."
The US President made remarks on Wednesday during an interview at the auto show in Detroit, referencing the crowds at the event.
As soon as the show aired on Sunday night, Republicans questioned the administration's decision to renew the public health emergency, claiming that if the pandemic is over, why would the administration renew its ongoing public health emergency.
The emergency declaration, which is slated to expire next month, has allowed federal officials to pursue flexible solutions in the midst of the crisis, such as quickly allowing new Covid treatments and keeping many Americans covered by Medicaid, the government's safety-net healthcare programme.
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If the government withdraws its emergency declaration, 15.8 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage, according to The Washington Post, citing the Urban Institute, a think tank that performs economic and social policy research.
For months, the administration has claimed that the virus is on the decline, citing the increasing availability of vaccines, tests, and treatments to combat it, as well as the population's growing immunity.
Biden's statements come at a time when new daily infections had dropped to slightly over 57,000, the lowest level since late April, though this is likely an undercount because most people test themselves at home and do not report their infections to local and state health officials.
Despite this, the disease continues to take its toll, with more than 30,000 people hospitalised and more than 400 deaths per day, according to seven-day averages compiled by The Washington Post.
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-PTC News
