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u.s. news Diaranson 16 Juni 2021
White House to host July 4 'independence from virus' bash
(AP) — Cue the fireworks. President Joe Biden ficial kickoff to a new phase in the U.S. pandemic
wants to imbue Independence Day with new response. The federal government is looking to
meaning this year by encouraging nationwide turn the page on the domestic public health crisis
celebrations to mark the country’s effective and focus on an economic and civic revival at home
return to normalcy after 16 months of coro- and marshaling support for vaccinations around
navirus pandemic disruption. the globe.
Even as the U.S. is set to cross the grim milestone Across the country, the White House is hoping to
of 600,000 deaths from the virus on Tuesday, the see the similar Independence Day activities, after
White House is expressing growing certainty that last year saw the mass cancellation of July Fourth
July Fourth will serve as a breakthrough moment festivities, according to two White House officials
in the nation’s recovery. That’s even though the who spoke on the condition of anonymity to out-
U.S. is not expected to quite reach its goal of hav- line the administration’s thinking.
ing 70% of adults vaccinated by the holiday.
“We welcome you to join us by hosting your own down from a high of nearly 2 million per day two
As COVID-19 case rates and deaths drop to levels events to honor our freedom, salute those who months ago.
not seen since the first days of the outbreak, travel have been serving on the frontlines, and celebrate
picks up and schools and businesses reopen, Biden our progress in fighting this pandemic,” the White White House officials acknowledged that there are
is proclaiming “a summer of freedom” to celebrate House wrote in an email to state and local officials still deep geographic disparities in vaccination and
Americans resuming their pre-pandemic lives. Tuesday. It asked them to share their plans to be that the administration will continue to remind
highlighted later by the administration. Americans that if they are not vaccinated they re-
The holiday will see the largest event yet of Biden’s main at risk of serious illness and death from the
presidency: He plans to host first responders, es- In Washington, the National Mall will host the tra- virus.
sential workers and military servicemembers and ditional fireworks ceremony, the White house said.
their families on the South Lawn for a cookout All American adults have been eligible for shots for
and to watch the fireworks over the National Mall. “America is headed into a summer dramatically dif- two months, and the administration has mounted
Well more than 1,000 guests are expected, officials ferent from last year,” the administration wrote to an aggressive “month of action” to try to drive up
said, with final arrangements still to be sorted out. officials. “A summer of freedom. A summer of joy. demand for doses, though that has done little to
A summer of reunions and celebrations.” change the trend lines: Fewer Americans are inter-
The plan shows the dramatic shift in thinking since ested in getting vaccinated.
Biden just three months ago cautiously held out The upbeat announcement contrasts with the drea-
hope that people might be able to hold small cook- rier reality in Europe, where Biden is on an eight- Officials say the effects of the July 4 vaccination goal
outs by the Fourth, an idea that seems quaint now day, three-country tour — not to mention much of of 70% of Americans on driving down COVID-19
given the swift pace of reopening. the rest of the world where vaccines remain scarce. cases are already being felt even if the benchmark
won’t be attained. Some 166.5 million adults have
“By July the 4th, there’s a good chance you, your Instead of having a mission accomplished moment, received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,
families and friends will be able to get together in in Britain, one of the few countries that has a vacci- according to CDC data. To reach his goal, Biden
your backyard or in your neighborhood and have nation rate similar to the U.S., the government an- would need to vaccinate about 14 million more in
a cookout and a barbeque and celebrate Indepen- nounced Monday it plans to further delay reopen- less than three weeks.
dence Day,” Biden had said as he marked the one- ing for at least another month to try to get more
year anniversary of the pandemic on March 11. people vaccinated. But cases there, unlike the U.S., “Regardless of where we are on July Fourth, we’re
“That doesn’t mean large events with lots of people are rising, and not all adults have been offered a not shutting down shop,” White House press sec-
together, but it does mean small groups will be able vaccine yet, nor have children. retary Jen Psaki said last week. “On July 5th, we’re
to get together.” going to continue to press to vaccinate more people
While in Europe, Biden and Group of Seven al- across the country.”
For most Americans, that reopening target was hit lies announced plans to provide 1 billion shots for
last month, by Memorial Day weekend, after the poorer nations, half of them from the U.S., but aid The Democratic president intends to use his re-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re- groups said a far greater commitment is needed to marks on July Fourth to highlight the administra-
laxed mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated defeat the virus around the globe. tion’s “wartime response,” with a vaccination cam-
people and the accompanying relaxation in state paign that helped bring cases and deaths down by
and local virus restrictions. Still, the U.S. vaccination campaign is far from about 90% from where they were before he took
over as rates slip. Fewer than 370,000 Americans office on Jan. 20.
Now, officials say July Fourth will serve as an unof- are now getting their first dose on average each day,
US Park service sued after gate kills Ugandan humanitarian
(AP) — The family of Salt Lake City reported. something he has called the
a women’s rights activ- “worst thing I hope I will
ist from Uganda sued the The lawsuit does not specify ever see.”
National Park Service the amount of damages be-
this month after she was ing sought, but Nakajjigo’s Nakajjigo, 25, was born in
decapitated last year by a family has previously filed a Kampala, Uganda, and used
gate at Utah’s Arches Na- $270 million notice of claim. her university tuition mon-
tional Park. Notices of claim must be ey to start a nonprofit com-
filed ahead of lawsuits against munity health care center
The gate had been left un- government agencies and the for girls and young women
latched against federal policy lawsuit was filed June 8 in when she was a teenager.
for two weeks before it struck federal court.
Esther Nakajjigo in June She earned numerous hu-
2020, according to the law- The gate sliced through the manitarian awards and creat-
suit filed in Denver. side of their rented car, strik- ed a popular reality television
ing Nakajjigo in the head and series aimed at empowering
She and her husband were neck and killing her, the law- young mothers. She was at-
newlyweds traveling in the suit said. tending a social-entrepre- A National Park Service park service previously is-
well-known park when the neurship program in Colo- spokesperson declined com- sued a statement expressing
wind caught the gate as they Her husband Ludo Michaud rado at the time of her death. ment Monday on the lawsuit, sympathy to her family.
drove out, Fox13-KSTU in witnessed his wife’s death, Fox13-KSTU reported. The