US closer to declaring `independence` from COVID-19, says President Joe Biden

On the occasion of the 245th Independence Day of the United States of America, President Joe Biden in his speech at the White House said: `Today, we are closer than ever to declare our independence from a deadly virus.`

Washington: The United States is getting closer to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, said President Joe Biden on the occasion of the country`s 245th Independence Day."Today, we are closer than ever to declare our independence from a deadly virus," Biden said in a speech at the White House. First responders, military members, and other guests were present there, as reported by Kyodo News.

"We have gained the upper hand against this virus," he said, adding that "Do not get me wrong: COVID-19 has not been vanquished. We all know powerful variants have emerged, like the Delta variant."As the Biden administration has ramped up COVID-19 vaccination efforts across the country, it earlier announced to inoculate 70 percent of adults with at least one shot by July 4.

The numbers of new cases and deaths have dropped drastically after Biden took command last January. But still, 200 people die each day less than half of the total population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The US has so far reported 33,717,574 cases and 605,526 deaths, according to CNN Health.