“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” warned Joe Biden, referring to the pandemic. The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the United States will likely exceed 500,000 in February. On his first full day in office, the President presented a 200-page pandemic action plan to the White House and signed ten executive orders. The pandemic represents a “national emergency” for the US, Biden said.
With one of the orders, Biden wants to use his powers as president to accelerate the production of protective masks and gloves, test accessories and materials for administering the vaccines. Other regulations are aimed at expanding testing capacity, hiring public health staff, supporting studies into treatment options for COVID-19, safely reopening schools, and protecting workers in the workplace. Biden also wants to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against the virus.
Details on the quarantine regulation not yet known
Regarding the quarantine for travelers, he said: “Anyone who flies to the US from another country will have to be tested before boarding the plane (…) and must be quarantined when they arrive in the US . ” At first, Biden did not provide any further information on the duration of the self-isolation. A decree signed by the president said overseas travelers should be required to adhere to CDC guidelines on international travel, including “self-quarantine or self-isolation”.
The CDC had already announced last week that a negative corona test will be required before air travel to the USA. The measure will take effect on January 26th. At the same time, the authorities recommended staying at home for the seven days after entering the country – but it was only a recommendation.
Biden: Trump administration failed to fight corona
When presenting his COVID-19 strategy, Biden denounced the failures of the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump. “Over the past year we have not been able to rely on the government to act with the urgency, focus and coordination necessary,” said the president. “And we have seen the tragic cost of that failure.”
The USA did not get into this situation “overnight”. “And it will be months before we get the curve.” Under the motto “Mask up!” He asked US citizens to voluntarily wear a mask for the next 100 days.
Light installation to commemorate the COVID-19 deaths in Washington the day before Biden’s inauguration
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Biden has announced the goal of injecting 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days in office. To do this, he also wants to resort to armaments laws in order to specifically boost production. To finance the measures, the president is aiming for a new corona aid package with a volume of 1.9 trillion dollars (almost 1.6 trillion euros). The congress has yet to approve the funds.
More than 400,000 people have already died in connection with a corona infection. More than 24 million infections with the virus have been reported across the United States. In absolute terms, the United States leads the world.
qu / mak (rtr, dpa, afp)
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