HEADLINES: President Biden Describes Additional Steps to Fight the Pandemic Including Doubling the Order of Antiviral Pill in Latest Effort to Combat Omicron Surge
President Biden Reiterated Plea that the Unvaccinated Get Vaccinated
Today, President Biden announced the government will double its order of Pfizer’s antiviral pill to combat Covid-19 from 10 million to 20 million treatment courses. This action shows how President Biden and his administration are committed to saving lives and ending this pandemic as swiftly as possible using every tool at our disposal. During his comments, President Biden urged vaccinations as the best way to prevent severe illness and death against the Omicron variant, saying people should protect themselves against this latest strain and be concerned if they remain unvaccinated.
The Washington Post: Biden Urges Concern, Not Alarm As Omicron Surges. “Speaking ahead of a meeting with his COVID-19 response team at the White House, Biden looked both to convey his administration’s urgency toward addressing the new variant and to convince wary Americans that the current surge bears little resemblance to the onset of the pandemic or last year’s deadly winter. The president emphasized that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have mitigated the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated.” [The Washington Post, 1/4/22]
The Hill: Biden Tamps Down Omicron Alarm, Urges Vaccinations. “Biden also twice underscored his desire to keep schools open, noting funding allotted for schools in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package passed last year. His message has been consistent that school closures and other shutdowns are not necessary to address the current wave of cases.” [The Hill, 1/4/22]
CNN: Biden Announces US Will Double Its Order Of Pfizer’s Antiviral To Treat Covid-19. “During his speech at the White House, Biden emphasized that the country has ‘the tools to protect people from severe illness due to Omicron if people choose to use the tools” and pleaded for Americans to ‘please take advantage of what we already have.’ He also acknowledged that the ‘coming weeks are going to be challenging’ as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise.” [CNN, 1/4/22]
CBS News: US Doubling And Accelerating Order Of Pfizer Antiviral Pills. “President Biden announced on Tuesday that he’s directing his team to double the United States’ order of Pfizer antiviral pills from 10 million COVID-19 treatment courses to 20 million treatment courses, and the delivery will be accelerated from September to June. ‘We may need even more. That’s the estimate we need right now,’ Mr. Biden said, noting the pills will dramatically decrease hospitalizations and deaths. ‘… They’re a game changer.’” [CBS News, 1/4/22]
USA Today: Biden To The Vaccinated: ‘You Are Highly Protected.’ Biden To The Unvaccinated: Be ‘Alarmed.’ “About 1 in every 100 Americans will have contracted the virus in just the last week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The president pointed out the U.S. has enough vaccines and booster shots for everybody in the nation, but 35 million adults have yet to get the shots. He also emphasized the importance of keeping schools open and said the government has doubled its purchasing order of a COVID treatment pill from Pfizer from 10 million to 20 million.” [USA Today, 1/4/22]