President Joe Biden appeared to increase his goal of coronavirus vaccines in his first 100 days in office, suggesting the nation could soon vaccinate an average of 1.5 million Americans a day.
Biden noted his growing optimism about the pace of vaccines after signing an executive order to boost government purchases from U.S. manufacturers. It was one of several Biden moves during its first full week to show it is taking swift action to heal a crisis-ridden economy, as talks with Congress over a $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package showed few signs of progress.
Biden has reiterated that he believes the country is in a precarious situation and that help is urgently needed, even when he ruled out the possibility of adopting a reduced bill to ensure the fastest passage. Features of the stimulus plan include a national immunization program, aid to reopen schools, direct payments of $ 1,400 to people, and financial assistance to state and local governments.
“Time is of the essence,” Biden said. “I’m reluctant to select and pull out one or two items here.”
Biden’s new vaccination goal comes after he and his aides faced criticism over the goal of 100 million people vaccinated in their first 100 days in office. The United States has surpassed the rate of 1 million doses per day over the past week.