Executive orders take aim at virus
President promises to end the siege, saying ‘Help is on the way’
WASHINGTON — With a burst of executive orders, President Joe Biden served notice Thursday that America’s war on COVID-19 is under new command, promising an anxious nation progress to reduce infections and lift the siege it has endured for nearly a year.
At the same time, he tried to manage expectations, saying, “we’re going to face setbacks.” He brushed off a reporter’s question on whether his goal of 100 million coronavirus shots in 100 days should be more ambitious, a point pressed by some public health experts.
The 10 orders signed by Biden aim to jumpstart his national COVID-19 strategy to increase vaccinations and testing, lay the groundwork for reopening schools and businesses, and immediately increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel. “We didn’t get into this mess overnight and it will take months to turn this around,” Biden said at the White House. U.S. deaths have have surged past 400,000 and he noted projections that they could reach 500,000 in a month.
But then, looking directly into the TV camera, Biden declared: “To a nation waiting for action, let me be
clear on this point: Help is on the way.”
The new president has vowed to take more aggressive measures to contain the virus than his predecessor did, starting with stringent adherence to public health guidance. A key difference is that, under Biden, the federal government is assuming full responsibility for the COVID response. And, instead of delegating major tasks to states, he is offering to help them with technical backup and federal money.
He faces obstacles, with the virus actively spreading in most states, slow progress on the vaccine rollout and political uncertainty over whether congressional Republicans will help him pass a $1.9 trillion economic relief and COVID response package.
On Thursday, a group influential with Republican
officeholders lent its support to Biden’s strategy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, “We support the new administration’s focus on removing roadblocks to vaccinations and reopening schools, both of which are important steps to accelerating a broad-based economic recovery for all Americans.”
Biden officials have said they’ve been hampered by a lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. They say they don’t have a complete understanding of their predecessors’ actions on vaccine distribution. And they face a litany of complaints from states that say they are not getting enough vaccine, even as they are being asked to vaccinate more categories of people.
The U.S. mask order for travel implemented by
Biden applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. Travelers from abroad must furnish a negative COVID-19 test before departing for the U.S. and must quarantine on arrival. Biden has already mandated masks on federal property.
Biden’s order leaves little wiggle room for passengers tempted to argue about their rights and marks a sharp break with the culture of President Donald Trump’s administration, under which masks were optional, and Trump made a point of going maskless and hosting big gatherings. Science has shown that masks, properly worn, cut coronavirus transmission.
Biden is seeking to expand testing and vaccine availability, with the goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. But some independent experts say his administration should strive for two or three times that number. Even with the slow pace of vaccinations, the U.S. is already closing in on 1 million shots a day.
The president has directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin setting up vaccination centers, shooting for 100 up and running in a month. He’s ordering the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin a program to make vaccines available through local pharmacies starting next month, building on a Trump administration plan. And he’s launching an effort to train more people to administer shots.