Biden will order states to make US adults eligible for Covid-19 vaccine by May 1

Biden will say in the speech that if the US can reach its vaccination goals, it will be possible for Americans to gather in small groups to celebrate July 4, according to senior administration officials.

President Joe Biden will announce that he is directing states to make all US adults eligible for coronavirus vaccinations by May 1 in a prime-time address on Thursday, further accelerating the government’s effort to end the pandemic.

US President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan, a package of economic relief measures to respond to the impact of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, inside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. (Reuters)

Biden will say in the speech that if the US can reach its vaccination goals, it will be possible for Americans to gather in small groups to celebrate July 4, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the president’s remarks.

They asked not to be identified on the condition of participation in the briefing.

Biden has previously said the administration expects to have enough vaccine by the end of May to vaccinate all US adults, though officials have warned that actually administering shots will take more time.

Biden’s address will mark the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. At about the same time, Americans began to adopt social-distancing practices that would lead to the temporary collapse of the economy, throwing millions out of work.

The president said Wednesday that his speech would outline “the next phase” of the government’s response to the pandemic. In addition to setting the May 1 and July 4 vaccination goals, he will announce that his administration will begin distributing vaccines to 700 more community health centers, to reach underprivileged communities and that it will double the number of retail pharmacies receiving shots directly from the federal government, the officials said.

The president’s also expected to laud his signing earlier Thursday of a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. Eligible Americans can expect to begin receiving government payments of as much as $1,400 as soon as this weekend, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.