President Joe Biden offered Americans hope as he used his first speech since becoming president to announce his plan to make all adults coronavirus vaccine-eligible by May 1.
The 78-year-old said he aimed to allow Americans to gather at least in small groups for their annual Fourth of July holiday and “make this Independence Day truly special”.
Mr Biden announced moves to speed vaccinations, including lifting eligibility qualifications, deploying an additional 4,000 active-duty troops to support vaccination efforts and allowing more people to deliver shots.
He is also directing more doses toward some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 retail pharmacies, to make it easier for people to get vaccinated closer to their homes.
Speaking in the White House East Room, Mr Biden marked one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.
“While it was different for everyone, we all lost something,” he said, calling the past year “a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice.”
Earlier on Thursday, the president signed into law a 1.9 trillion dollar (£1.4 trillion) relief package that he said will help defeat the virus, nurse the economy back to health and deliver direct aid to Americans in need.
“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Mr Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.
