President Joe Biden announced Monday that 90% of U.S. adults will be eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine by April 19 and will also have a vaccination site within five miles of their homes by that date.
The plan is reliant on expanding vaccine access at retail pharmacies.
"At least 90% of all adults in this country will be eligible to be vaccinated by April 19, just three weeks from now," Biden said during an afternoon briefing.
Biden also announced his administration is distributing funds to help safely transport vulnerable seniors to receive the vaccine.
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"We're on track this week ... to achieve nearly 75% of Americans over the age of 65 getting at least one vaccination shot," Biden said. "That's a lot of grandparents who are now able to safely hug their children."
However, Biden warned that the U.S. should not let its guard down — echoing a statement delivered earlier on Monday by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
Biden called on governors and local leaders to reinstate mask mandates to curb any increase in cases as restrictions loosen. When asked as he was leaving the briefing if some states should stop loosening restrictions, Biden simply said "yes."
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Biden previously directed states to open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1. Since then, more than 30 states have said they will open eligibility by April 19. The president’s announcement is consistent with those moves, covering roughly 90 percent of U.S. adults.
The U.S. has reported more than 30 million COVID-19 cases and over 552,000 deaths, according to NBC News.
