WASHINGTON – On his second day in office, President Joe Biden will sign ten executive orders to crack down on Covid-19, extend testing and reopen schools as he sets out a detailed plan to end the pandemic to tackle.
The new administration will increase the number of vaccination centers by creating federal community vaccination centers in stadiums, gyms and conference centers staffed by thousands of additional workers, some of them from federal agencies and the military, as well as first responders.
Biden’s plan also looks at ways to accelerate vaccine production, including the use of the Defense Act, the provision of the supply chain and the release of more of the federal government’s reserves. Biden will encourage all states to vaccinate people 65 and older, along with certain essential workers, including teachers and grocery stores.
Biden has set an ambitious goal of giving 100 million shots in 100 days – to pick up the pace of the 17 million shots the Trump administration recorded in just over a month. Administration officials believe they have the resources available to achieve the goal, but said they would need congressional funding to expand vaccinations to the wider population, increase tests and help reopen schools. Biden is asking for more than $ 400 million for the pandemic response as part of a $ 1.9 billion stimulus package.
“Although we will carry out the strategy urgently, we do need Congress to act – and act quickly. Congress must provide the necessary funding in the Covid relief package, the American Rescue Plan, which the president will send them soon. , “Jeffrey Zients, Biden’s Covid-19 response coordinator, said in a call with reporters.
Biden also plans to sign an executive order on Thursday requiring people to wear masks at airports and planes, trains and maritime vessels and to instruct international travelers to test negative for Covid-19 before leaving for the US.
Biden’s coronavirus team said the Trump administration was only beginning to get the status of the vaccination program during the transition due to a lack of information exchange. Officials have just begun evaluating the supply and production schedule to find out how much vaccine they can release while ensuring there is enough for people to get their second doses, Zients said.
Biden said he wants most K-8 schools to open in its first 100 days. To help make this happen, he will sign a presidential memorandum reimbursing schools for extra cleaning, protective equipment and other costs associated with getting students back into the classroom using the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Fund . It will also instruct its administration to develop new reopening guidelines.
Biden will also order agencies to use their powers, including the Defense Production Act, to speed up the production of items that fall short, and he will instruct FEMA to reduce federal compensation from 75 percent to 100 percent of national guard costs. , staff and emergency supplies needed to create vaccination centers.
The administration said it would begin holding regular public information sessions led by scientists and increase the amount of data shared publicly, including statistics on race, healthcare system capacity and vaccine supply.
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“The federal government needs to be the source of truth for the public to get clear, accessible and scientifically accurate information about Covid-19,” Zients said. “We will be honest, transparent and straightforward with the American people to rebuild trust.”
In his first office hours on Wednesday, Biden issued more than a dozen executive orders and memoranda, undoing many of the features of President Donald Trump’s tenure and beginning to make his own mark on how the US will respond to its multiple crises. Aides said more executive action is expected in the coming days and weeks.
