President-elect Joe Biden says 100 million people will receive the coronavirus vaccinations, and the majority of schools will reopen under his plans for his first 100 days as president.
Biden, 78, hasn’t even been sworn in yet, but he’s already putting out his plan to combat Covid-19. While vaccinations are on their way, Biden will still be ordering communities to continue wearing face coverings, avoid large gatherings, and perform social distance practices, Politico reports.
Biden recently chose his team of officials to lead health agencies and help manage the government’s next actions to combat the pandemic, as more than 14 million have been infected in the nation. “As a new president, I’m going to speak directly to the American people,” Biden said. “We need your help. Wear a mask for 100 days. It’s the easiest thing you can do to reduce Covid cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
On his team are Vivek Murthy, his pick for surgeon general, and Jeffrey Zients, who will facilitate the coronavirus response for Biden’s administration, the outlet reports. Other team members include health secretary-designate Xavier Becerra. Biden’s promise of 100 million vaccinations is already confirmed. However, two of the vaccines are very close to being FDA-approved, and because it is a two-part vaccine, it will just cover 50 million people initially.
Biden says the first round of vaccinations will go to frontline health workers, the elderly, and other groups that are at higher risk of infection, like teachers and school staff. Biden has also developed three objectives with Dr. Fauci, who will stay on as his chief medical adviser. As for the reopening of schools, Biden plans on providing school districts with adequate funding, implementing safety measures, like better ventilation, and hiring more staff to oversee smaller groups of students.
Biden says that through these steps, he is hoping to tackle the pandemic one day at a time. “We did not get into this mess quickly, and it’s going to take time to fix,” he said. “But I am convinced that in 100 days, we can change the course of the disease and change life in America for the better.”
