Pres. Biden to DavidMuir on requiring vaccines for domestic flights: 'It's been considered but the recommendation I've gotten, it's not necessary.'
Muir pressed Biden on why tests were not available before the Christmas rush, with the omicron variant now detected in all 50 states."Three days before Christmas, if you look out across the country, you see it everywhere, these long lines, people waiting for hours outside in the cold, just to get tested, to be reassured before they spend time with their family," Muir said."If you go to the pharmacy, we hear this over and over again, empty shelves, no test kits.
"I don't think it's a failure," Biden replied."I think it's -- you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago.""I wish I had thought about ordering" 500 million at-home tests"two months ago," he told Muir. The president has sought to both reassure Americans that vaccinations and booster doses protect against serious illness and death.
While the Biden administration has required foreign visitors flying to the United States to be vaccinated against COVID-19 -- with some exceptions, like for those on immigrant visas -- he has so far resisted mandating vaccination for domestic air travel.People queue up at a COVID-19 testing site in Washington D.C., Dec. 22, 2021.
As millions of people travel home as omicron spreads across the country, Muir asked the president:"Have you considered requiring passengers in this country to be vaccinated to get on flights?""Even with omicron?" Muir asked.The day before, Biden had pledged to launch more federal testing sites around the country and send 1,000 military doctors and nurses to
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
President Biden initially tests negative for COVID-19 after close contact with ill stafferThe president was in close proximity to the “mid-level staff member” for about 30 minutes on Friday during an Air Force One flight from South Carolina to...
Read more »
President Biden pledges to deliver 500 million COVID-19 rapid tests to AmericansOn Tuesday, President Biden is expected to announce plans to order 500 million coronavirus rapid tests and ship them free to Americans starting in January
Read more »
The Jonas Brothers Made a Vaccine PSA TikTok With President Biden -- and It Massively BackfiredA cringey video referencing the “Bing Bong” meme that went viral earlier this month did not go over well with the youths
Read more »
Biden extends pause on student loan repaymentPresident Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his administration was extending the pause on student loan repayment for an additional 90 days, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more »
Supreme Court will hear challenge to Biden Covid vaccine mandatesThe Supreme Court agreed to hear legal challenges to the Biden administration's mandates mandating Covid-19 for millions of workers.
Read more »