COVID-19: President Joe Biden says America is through the worst, insisting ‘the pandemic is over’
The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has improved significantly since early in Mr Biden’s term, when more than 3,000 Americans were dying every day, thanks to more widely available enhanced care, medications and vaccinations.
Monday 19 September 2022 22:12, UK
US President Joe Biden spoke to 60 Minutes from the Detroit Auto Show
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US President Joe Biden spoke to 60 Minutes from the Detroit Auto Show
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Joe Biden has said the “pandemic is over”, despite hundreds of Americans dying with the virus every day.
Speaking to CBS’s 60 Minutes programme, the US president hailed the end of the outbreak.
However, he added: “We still have a problem with COVID.
“We’re still doing a lot of work on it. 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.”
Mr Biden was speaking on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Show, an event which drew thousands of visitors.
The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has improved significantly since early in Mr Biden’s term, when more than 3,000 Americans were dying every day, thanks to more widely available enhanced care, medications and vaccinations.
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End of the COVID-19 pandemic ‘in sight’, World Health Organisation says
However, nearly 400 people a day continue to die with COVID-19, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The president spent more than two weeks isolated in the White House after two bouts with coronavirus starting in July.
His wife Jill contracted the virus in August.
Mr Biden has said the mild cases were a testament to the improvements in care during his presidency.
He has also asked Congress for $22.4bn (£19.6bn) more in funding to prepare for a potential autumn surge in infections.
