PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — President Joe Biden will deliver a primetime address to the nation Thursday night to mark a year of the COVID-19 pandemic — a year filled with the deaths of more than half a million Americans, job losses, shuttered businesses and a change in everyday behavior.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak was a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. At the time, there were 118,000 confirmed cases and 4,291 deaths around the world. The United States accounted for 1,300 cases and 38 deaths.
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“In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher,” WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that day.
That same night, after weeks of downplaying the virus, President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office, announcing a suspension of travel from Europe. He also spoke about the need for economic relief for families and businesses that would be affected by the virus, and the need to unite. “We are all in this together,” he said.
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Fast-forward to March 11, 2021: The WHO’s dashboard lists more than 117 million people have been infected around the world and 2.6 million have died due to COVID-19. In the U.S. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 29 million Americans have tested positive and more than 526,000 have died.
And this time, it will be Biden speaking from the White House. In a bit of a preview on Wednesday, he said he would address the year that was and the days ahead.
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“I’m gonna launch the next phase of the COVID response and explain what we will do as a government and what we will ask of the American people. There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of this past year. But we cannot let our guard down now or assume that our victory is inevitable,” Biden said.
States around the country are either lifting or easing coronavirus restrictions. Still, the top health officials in the Biden administration are still stressing the need to wear masks, maintain distances, avoid crowds and stick to other safety measures that have become part of everyday life.
However, coinciding with the message of vigilance is a message of optimism from the president. His primetime address comes the night before he is slated to sign into law the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Also, The CDC reports, as of Thursday morning, nearly 33 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, which is nearly 10% of the U.S. population.
“Together we’re gonna get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future. So there is real reason for hope, folks. There’s real reason for hope. I promise you.”
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