President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union address Tuesday night that Americans will no longer have COVID-19 and the restrictions enforced in several states as a result of the virus because of "the progress we have made" to combat the disease — despite Democrat leaders who continued to enforce restrictions and mandates until they were rolled back in a move that seems to be transparent political maneuvering.
Biden acknowledged that Americans are "frustrated, and exhausted" after the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic before asserting that a return to normalcy is due to efforts to mitigate the global virus.
"Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools we have, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines," he said. "We've reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, with severe cases down to a level not seen since last July."
The president cited updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that only recommends Americans wear masks if they reside in counties with higher rates of COVID hospitalizations. The agency's guidance means more than 70 percent of Americans, including students, are no longer advised to mask up, a significant reversal from the guidance of just a few weeks ago.
"Under these new guidelines, most Americans in most of the country can now be mask-free. And based on the projections, more of the country will reach that point across the next couple of weeks. Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, COVID-19 need no longer control our lives," Biden said, neglecting to mention it was Democrat politicians who controlled American lives while using COVID as their excuse.
"I know some are talking about 'living with COVID-19.' Tonight – I say that we will never just accept living with COVID-19," he continued. "We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this is a virus that mutates and spreads, we will stay on guard."
This, as many Democratic states across the country announce efforts to ease COVID restrictions for the majority of residents, including in schools for most states. A slew of local governments and school districts have recently ditched mask mandates while some others have decided to keep them in place.
Biden outlined "common sense" steps to take to ensure safety from the coronavirus, including COVID vaccinations and treatments like Pfizer's antiviral pill, and said the U.S. will prepare for future variants of the virus.
"Over the past year, we've gotten much better at detecting new variants," Biden said. "If necessary, we'll be able to deploy new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years. And, if Congress provides the funds we need, we'll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, and pills ready if needed. I cannot promise a new variant won't come. But I can promise you we'll do everything within our power to be ready if it does."
The president also called for an end to the lockdown of businesses and schools, emphasizing that "we have the tools we need," and noted that the U.S. will "continue vaccinating the world."
According to Biden, the U.S. has sent 475 Million vaccine doses to 112 countries.
"We have lost so much to COVID-19. Time with one another. And worst of all, so much loss of life," Biden said. "Let's use this moment to reset. Let's stop looking at COVID-19 as a partisan dividing line and see it for what it is: A God-awful disease. Let's stop seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we really are: Fellow Americans."
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