SAN DIEGO — "We're moving toward a time where COVID-19 won't disrupt our daily lives.”
President Biden addressed the nation in a news conference marking his first year in office.
The president tackled everything from the economy, to Russia, to the pandemic and what Biden touts as progress in the fight against COVID-19.
The White House previously announced the release of one billion free at-home tests for Americans. They're following that up with free masks to help protect from COVID-19 amidst the omicron surge.
President Biden added that the fight in the pandemic isn't over but maintains The United States is better off than it was a year ago. Many Americans say the changing guidelines have been frustrating. Biden addressed the issue saying,
"Some people call what's happening now a new normal. I call it a job not yet finished. We're in a different place now. We have the tools: vaccines, boosters, masks, tests, pills to save lives and keep businesses and schools open."
One of those tools: N95 masks. The 400 million free masks will come from the country's strategic stockpile and will be made available to the public at thousands of local pharmacies and community health centers starting next week according to a White House official.
This marks the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.
The president added despite the masks and the rollout of the vaccines, there's still work to be done to get the unvaccinated with shots in their arms.
"We've gone from 90 million adults with no shots in arms last summer to 35 million with no shots as of today and we're adding about 9 million more vaccinations each week," Biden said.
Doctors and the CDC have now agreed that the N95 masks are most effective at fighting the virus when compared to the popular surgical or cloth masks.
The president also added the only way forward in the pandemic is through, and that through includes free vaccines, tests and now masks.
"We're not going to lockdowns. We're not going back to closing schools. Schools should stay open," Biden said.
Regardless of your vaccination status, the CDC says all Americans should wear a mask indoors or in crowded outdoor settings in communities with high numbers of COVID-19.
Right now, nearly every county across the country is listed in the red zone of high transmission because of the COVID-19 omicron variant surge.
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