US President Joe Biden talks about the 50 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered in the US during an event commemorating the milestone at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC , on February 25, 2021.
Saul Loeb | AFP | fake images
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will announce Thursday night that he will instruct states to make all adults eligible for Covid vaccines by May 1.
Biden, in his first primetime address to the nation, is also expected to say that Americans should be able to gather in small groups to celebrate July 4, a senior administration official told reporters Thursday.
“It will be clear that this does not mean big events where many people gather, but it does mean that we can have an independence day again with small meetings and celebrations,” the official told reporters before the speech.
“And that is a big step in the right direction,” the official added. “We believe that if we do our part, we will be in a much better place by Independence Day and we can begin to resume more of our normal activities.”
Biden’s speech is scheduled for shortly after 8 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast from the East Room of the White House. The speech is expected to last less than 20 minutes.
The primetime event comes hours after Biden signed into law Covid’s $ 1.9 trillion aid bill, which had aggressively lobbied Congress to pass during his first 50 days in office.
Biden’s comments come as the United States administered a record number of vaccines over the weekend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered 2.9 million vaccines on Saturday, a record, and 2.4 million on Sunday, according to the agency’s latest tally. The numbers are subject to revision as more data becomes available to public health officials.
Biden will embark on a nationwide tour next week to promote his administration’s first major legislative achievement. The president will depart on Tuesday for Delaware County in Pennsylvania, an electoral transition state that was key to Biden’s victory over former President Donald Trump.
Earlier Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will “lay out a few more details” of how the administration will fight the virus going forward.
CNBC Kevin Breuninger reported from New York City.
This story is unfolding. Please check for updates.