Biden touts Covid ‘Independence Day’ as AOC mocks Republican ‘cancel culture’ fixation – follow live

The administration is preparing to launch a comprehensive national Covid testing programme, beginning with an initial $650m investment in testing and screening in schools and at “underserved congregate settings” like homeless shelters, group homes and prisons, he said in his speech last night.

The initial effort from the US Department of Health and Human Services will “begin to bring more testing to teachers, staff, and students and serve as a bridge to the comprehensive testing investment in the American Rescue Plan that is critical to get the pandemic under control,” the White House said on Thursday prior to the president’s remarks.

The administration “will immediately take steps to help schools implement regular screening testing to assist them in safely reopening classrooms, including through tests and test supplies as well as implementation assistance to make it easier for schools to adopt a testing programme,” it added.

Alex Woodward has this report.

One particularly noteworthy portion of the address saw Biden condemn a spate of “vicious hate crimes” against Asian Americans arising from the pandemic, not helped (or actively encouraged) by Trump, his secretary of state Mike Pompeo, Fox pundits and other conseratives insisting on referring to Covid-19 as the “China Virus”.

“At this very moment, so many of them, our fellow Americans, are on the frontlines of this pandemic trying to save lives and still, still they are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America,” the president said.

He acknowledged, “Asian Americans who’ve been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated” and declared: “It’s wrong, it’s un-American and it must stop.”

Griffin Connolly offers this analysis of the president’s 24-minute address, which followed on from his signing the historic American Rescue Plan Act a day earlier than planned at the White House yesterday afternoon.

Joe Biden has told America in a primetime TV address he hopes the nation can celebrate 4 July cookouts as its “Independence Day” from the coronavirus this year, also warning that the “fight is far from over” and that “everyone has to do their part” by getting vaccinated and observing social restrictions.

In his first televised speech as president, considered a rite of passage for every occupant of the Oval Office, Biden said he was ordering that every adult be made eligible for one of the three approved vaccines by 1 May.

He said he was also hopeful of pressing ahead with a plan to open most schools for youngsters from kindergarten to the eighth grade within the first 100 days of his presidency.

“A year ago we were hit with a virus that was met with silence, and spread unchecked. Denials for days, weeks, then months. That led to more deaths,” he said of the pandemic, a clear reference to the bungled response of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Later, he said he needed all Americans to do their part to fight the spread of the illness – to wear masks, get vaccinated and continue to observe social distancing. He warned it was not the time to give up on such efforts.

“If we do all this, if we do our part, we do this together, by July Fourth there’s a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together in your backyard, or in your neighbourhood, and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day,” the president said, stressing that did not mean large gatherings.

Here’s Andrew Buncombe’s report.