US President Joe Biden on Sunday celebrated the United States' near "independence from" the coronavirus pandemic in an address in honor of the Fourth of July.
“Today, all across this nation, we can say with confidence: America is coming back together,” Biden said. “245 years ago we declared independence from a distant king. Today, we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus. That’s not to say the battle against COVID-19 is over. We’ve got a lot more work to do."
At the same time he stressed that the virus "no longer paralyzes our nation, and it is within our power to make sure it never does again."
"Together we’re beating the virus," continued Biden. "Together we are breathing life into our economy. Together we’ll rescue our people from the vision of despair. But together we must do it."
"My fellow Americans, it is the most patriotic thing you can do, so please if you have not gotten vaccinated. Do it now. Do it for yourselves, your loved ones, and your communities," he said, adding, "The best defense against these variants is to get vaccinated," Biden added.
Biden had set a goal of having 70 percent of Americans receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by July 4. The goal was ultimately not achieved, but he stressed in his remarks how far the country has come during the pandemic, noting people can return back to work, children are going back to school and the economy is on the rise.