Washington – More than 25 million Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the United States since the pandemic began, said John Hopkins University on Sunday, just days after President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
The country reached the milestone only days after it recorded 400 000 deaths from the disease.
Biden has made fighting the virus a priority and is pushing for Congress to approve a $1.9-trillion relief package that would include billions of dollars to boost vaccination rates.
Biden said he wants 100 million people vaccinated within his first 100 days in office, and he as called for Americans to wear masks for 100 days.
Countries world-wide are in a race against time to get their populations inoculated before the coronavirus mutates into a strain that could resist newly approved vaccinations.
Vivek Murthy, Biden’s nominee for surgeon-general, said on Sunday that 100 million doses in 100 days was “a floor, not a ceiling” and cautioned about new strains.
“The variants are very concerning,” said Murthy.
“It’s up to us to adapt and stay ahead,” he added.
