The Covid pandemic in the United States is over, according to US President Joe Biden in an interview on Sunday.
The remarks were indicative of the current state of much of US society, given that Covid restrictions have been largely lifted nationwide and travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it…, but the pandemic is over,” Biden told CBS news programme “60 Minutes” in an interview taped as he walked the floor of the Detroit Auto Show last week.
“If you notice, no one’s wearing masks,” Biden said, gesturing around the hall.
“Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing.”
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However, the president’s comments come just a few weeks after his government requested billions of dollars in financing from Congress to continue its testing and vaccination operations through a projected fall wave.
The self-described “car guy” Biden’s trip to Michigan last week raised awareness of the Detroit event, which is being conducted for the first time since 2019.
Biden emphasised recent legislation approved to promote US automakers’ transition to electric vehicles in a keynote speech, as well as significant new investments in semiconductor production.
(With inputs from agencies)
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