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Even as many establishments are opening up in the US, the pandemic has not gone away completely yet. With increasing concerns about the Delta variant of the coronavirus, US President Joe Biden has announced the formation of COVID-19 response teams.
Speaking from the White House following a briefing by his COVID-19 response team, Biden said that the pandemic is not over yet, and cited that millions of Americans remain unvaccinated. Biden noted that this is becoming a big concern due to the Delta variant of the coronavirus that makes up half of the cases in many parts of the US. Biden announced that there will be COVID-19 surge response teams to combat the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The surge response teams will be made up of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other related government groups.
“They’re going to help states that have particular problems prevent, detect, and respond to the spread of the Delta variant among unvaccinated people in communities with low vaccination rates. And some states have low vaccination rates,” said Biden.
The US leader noted that outbreaks are likely going to happen in states such as Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Nevada. The four states have seen a rise in cases in recent weeks. To note, vaccination rates have slowed down since April and coincidentally, the states that have voted for Donald Trump are lagging behind on the vaccinations.
Biden explained an approach to increase outreach in communities and neighborhoods to convince them to get vaccinated. Biden added that the White House will be partnering with 42,000 local pharmacies, including family doctors, and pediatricians to help promote the importance of getting vaccinated, especially among 12-18-year-olds.
Previously, Biden reiterated that the country has not defeated the pandemic just yet during his remarks celebrating the 4th of July. With 1,000 guests at the National Mall in DC, Biden said that while the country has gained the advantage over the virus, the pandemic remains, noting the Delta variant.
So far, over 600,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, with millions still infected.
