Biden begins winter campaign against Covid-19. US President Joe Biden has initiated a winter campaign against Covid-19, which would include additional traveler testing procedures and increased vaccine efforts.
After the turbulent Trump years, Biden has brought stability to the White House, but the mutating coronavirus continues to challenge him, driving his approval ratings to new lows.
Biden announced a slew of initiatives aimed at containing Covid-19 in the next months, as the latest Omicron form spreads over the world, urging the country — including his political opponents — to rally behind the policy.
So far, two instances have been reported in the United States, the second of which is a Minnesota male who has no recent international travel history, indicating that the strain is already circulating within the country.
“It’s a proposal that I believe should unite us,” Biden said from the National Institutes of Health offices in a Washington suburb.
“I’m aware that Covid-19 has caused a lot of controversies. It’s become a political issue in this country… It’s a depressing commentary. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is.”
The initiatives include requiring all arriving overseas travellers to be tested within one day of their arrival.
According to the official, this will apply to all travellers, both domestic and international, regardless of immunisation status.
For domestic travellers, Biden will announce that the mask rule will be extended until mid-March on aircraft, trains, and other public transportation.
Testing and immunisation requirements could be introduced to domestic flights as well, according to White House spokesperson Jen Psaki. “Nothing is off the table,” she stated emphatically.
The flurry of actions is intended to reassure Americans that Biden is doing everything he can to keep the pandemic from derailing the country’s excellent economic recovery — and the holiday season.
In recent days, Biden and his associates have frequently stated that there will be no more government shutdowns.
However, the White House must contend with the fact that many Americans are unresponsive to Biden’s calls for collective action.
Despite increasingly inventive efforts to persuade people to get their immunizations, around 40% of the country remains unvaccinated.
Around 110 million people who are eligible for booster vaccinations have yet to receive them.
National campaign
Officials said a nationwide campaign targeting recipients of Medicare public health care will be started, with a focus on immunizations and booster shots. The government will collaborate with the AARP, a powerful lobbying organisation that represents people aged 50 and up.
On the other hand, the Biden administration will work to prevent schools from reverting to mass lockdowns.
“We’re stepping up our efforts to vaccinate children as young as five years old,” Biden added. Get your youngster vaccinated at one of the 35,000 locations around the country if you’re worried about the Omicron or Delta variant.”
The White House will encourage the use of home testing kits by stating that health insurance must cover 100 per cent of the cost, reinforcing existing policy.
There will be more free kits available for folks who do not have health insurance.
The kits now cost roughly $25, despite the fact that they are accessible for free or at a low cost in peer countries in Europe.
As Biden begins winter campaign against Covid-19, meanwhile, the White House emphasised that the administration’s travel restrictions on eight southern African countries in response to mounting Omicron fears were not a “punishment” but rather a precaution.
“Of course, we’re in direct contact with leaders in these countries on a diplomatic level about the steps we’re taking,” Psaki said, alluding to the ban on US arrivals from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, and South Africa imposed last week.
She went on to say, “It’s not supposed to be a punishment.” “It is steps recommended by our public health officials and medical professionals in order to prevent the spread of a variant,” says the statement.
