Becerra also expressed concerns about cases rising among children as schools lift mask requirements.
Schools have become a flashpoint in the COVID response, with some parents objecting to mask requirements as an infringement on personal liberty and others reluctant to put their children near any potential risks. With the pendulum now swinging in the direction of unmasking, Becerra said he hoped the cautious will not be singled out.
A more comfortable new normal is within reach, Becerra said, but it depends on two things. One is the virus, which has proven hard to control. The other is Americans’ sense of personal responsibility. With less than half the eligible population now boosted, even as medical experts weigh a new, 4th round of shots, more appeals to personal responsibility may get tuned out.
The White House and Congress are in a stand-off over President Joe Biden’s request for $22.5 billion to continue the government’s COVID response this year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried for a $15.6 billion package, but varying objections from Democrats as well as Republicans have kept a deal from going through. The White House says money for some efforts, including the purchase of more booster doses and for monoclonal antibody treatments will run out by the end of this month.
But right now the option is not widely available. Pharmacy "locations don’t grow on trees, the way money doesn’t grow on trees, and it costs money," Becerra said.
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