“We still have a problem with the coronavirus,” Biden said on “60 Minutes,” which aired Sunday night. “We’re still doing a lot of work on this… but the pandemic is over.” Biden made the remarks Wednesday during an interview at the Detroit auto show, referring to the crowds at the event. The annual auto show had not been held since 2019. “If you notice, nobody’s wearing masks,” Biden told CBS News reporter Scott Pelley. “Everyone seems to be in very good shape. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example.” While Biden’s comments were impromptu, they may complicate his administration’s so-far unsuccessful efforts to secure additional funding from Congress for more coronavirus vaccines and treatments and to take other steps to combat the virus. Republicans on Sunday night raised questions about why the administration would renew the ongoing public health emergency if the pandemic ends. That emergency declaration, which is set to expire next month, has allowed federal officials to pursue flexible solutions amid the crisis, including quickly approving new coronavirus treatments and keeping many Americans on Medicaid, the health-net program security. The Urban Institute, a think tank that conducts economic and social policy research, has estimated that up to 15.8 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage after the government ends the emergency declaration. Biden’s comment that the pandemic is over came as a surprise to administration officials, according to two senior health officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. The White House on Sunday night did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The administration has argued for months that the virus is in decline, citing the increasing availability of vaccines, tests and treatments to fight it and the growing immunity of the population. Biden’s remarks came as new daily infections fell to just over 57,000 — the lowest since late April — though that is likely a dramatic undercount, as most people are testing at home and not reporting their infections. to local and state health officials. Still, the disease continues to take its toll, with more than 30,000 people hospitalized and more than 400 dying each day, according to seven-day averages compiled by the Washington Post. “We have a virus out there that’s still circulating, still killing hundreds of Americans every day,” Ashish Jha, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, said at a Sept. 6 news briefing, warning that the emergence of new variants could create additional risks. “I think all of us as Americans need to come together to try to protect Americans … and do everything we can to get our health care system through what could be a difficult fall and winter ahead of us.” The head of the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that the pandemic is not over and that significant work remains to fight it around the world. “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO. “We can see the finish line. but now is the worst time to stop running.” We’ve never been in a better place to end the #COVID19 pandemic, but only if all countries, manufacturers, communities and individuals step up and seize this opportunity. Otherwise, we risk more variation, more death, disruption and uncertainty. Let’s finish the job! pic.twitter.com/wzNaQ5kF3P — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 15, 2022 In the “60 Minutes” interview, Biden said the pandemic continues to take a deep psychological toll. “I think you will agree that the impact on the psyche of the American people as a result of the pandemic is profound,” the president said. “Think how that changed everything … people’s attitudes about themselves, about their families, about the state of the nation, about the state of their communities.”
