‘A National Emergency’: Biden Focuses On Pandemic’s School, Workplace Toll
In his first national TV interview since taking office, President Joe Biden also discussed vaccination plans and the difficulties in achieving herd immunity in the U.S.
In his first network television interview since taking office, President Biden acknowledged it will be 鈥渧ery difficult鈥 for the United States to reach herd immunity at the current rate coronavirus vaccines are being administered in the country and that his administration would utilize all 32 National Football League stadiums as mass vaccination centers to help in the effort. 鈥淚t is a national emergency,鈥 Biden said on 鈥淐BS Evening News with Norah O鈥橠onnell,鈥 referring to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its effect on schoolchildren and the workforce. (Wang and Gearan, 2/7)
President Biden said the exodus of millions of women from the labor force and the closing of schools 鈥攁long with the mental health issues for children that could arise 鈥 during the聽COVID-19 pandemic聽constitute a "national emergency." 聽"CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell spoke to Mr. Biden in the first network news interview he has given since his inauguration. (Linton, 2/7)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could as soon as Wednesday lay out the requirements for schools to reopen, President Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday. Biden told CBS鈥檚 Norah O鈥橠onnell in an interview that aired in part before the Super Bowl that he believed 鈥渋t鈥檚 time for schools to reopen safely,鈥 after calling it a 鈥渘ational emergency鈥 that about 20 million American children have not been in a classroom for almost a year. (Coleman, 2/7)
President Joe Biden won鈥檛 commit to achieving herd immunity to the coronavirus in the U.S. by the end of summer, suggesting a long road ahead to defeating the deadly virus. 鈥淭he idea that this can be done and we can get to herd immunity much before the end of this summer is very difficult,鈥 the Democrat said in an interview broadcast on CBS on Sunday ahead of the Super Bowl. (Higgins, 2/7)
In related news from President Biden 鈥
President Biden said he expects to take the NFL up on an offer to use its 32 stadiums as mass vaccination sites during an interview that aired Sunday.聽The president told CBS鈥檚 Norah O鈥橠onnell in the interview that聽aired in party ahead of the Super Bowl that he received a call from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in which the commissioner offered the league鈥檚 32 stadiums as potential vaccination sites. (Coleman, 2/7)
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden thanked health care workers from around the country for their work during the coronavirus pandemic in an ad that aired ahead of the Super Bowl kickoff on Sunday. The couple in a pre-recorded message called on viewers to continue to 鈥渄o our part鈥 to combat the virus and to participate in a moment of silence for those who died of COVID-19 ahead of the game. (Coleman, 2/7)