Good evening, my fellow americans. I want to talk to you about where we are in the battle against COVID-19. The progress we've made and the work we have left to do. And it starts with understanding this Even as the delta variant 19 Has. has been hitting this country hard. We have the tools to combat the virus if we can come together as a country and use those tools. If we raise our vaccination rate, protect ourselves and others with masking expanded testing and identify people who are infected, We can and we will turn the tide on COVID-19. It will take a lot of hard work. It's going to take some time. Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans. We're still not vaccinated. Even though the vaccine is safe, effective and free. It might be confused about what is true, What is false about COVID-19. So before outlined the new steps to fight COVID-19 that I'm gonna be announcing tonight. Let me give you some clear information about where we stand first. We have considered we've made considerable progress in Battling COVID-19. When I became president. About two million Americans were fully vaccinated today, Over 175 million Americans have that protection. Before I took office, we hadn't ordered enough vaccine for every american. Just weeks in office, we did The week before I took office on January 20 of this year, over 25,000 Americans died that week. COVID-19 Last week, that grim weekly toll was down 70 and then three months before I took office, our economy is faltering, Creating just 50,000 jobs a month. We're now averaging 700,000 new jobs a month In the past three months. This progress is real. But while America is much better shape than it was seven months ago when I took office, I need to tell you a second fact we're in the tough stretch and it could last for a while, highly contagious, dull to vary it that I began to warn America about back in july spread late summer like it did in other countries before us. While the vaccines provide strong protection for the vaccinated, we read about and hear about and we see the stories of hospitalized people. People on their deathbeds among the unvaccinated Over the past few weeks. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated and it's caused by the fact that despite America having unprecedented and successful vaccination program, Despite the fact that for almost five months, Free vaccines have been available in 80,000 different locations. We still have nearly 80 million Americans who have failed to get the shot. To make matters worse, their elected officials Actively working to undermine the fight against COVID-19 instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated a mask up. They're ordering mobile morgues for the unvaccinated, dying from Covid in their communities. This is totally unacceptable. 3rd you wonder how all this adds up. Here's the math. The vast majority of americans are doing the right thing. Nearly three quarters of the eligible have gotten at least one shot, but one quarter has not gotten any. That's nearly 80 million Americans not vaccinated And the country as large as ours, that's 25 minority that 25% can cause a lot of damage and they are the unvaccinated overcrowd. Our hospitals are overrunning emergency rooms and intensive care units, leaving no room for someone with a heart attack or pancreatitis or cancer. And fourth, I want to emphasize that the vaccines provide very strong prediction From severe illness from COVID-19. I know there's a lot of confusion and misinformation but the world's leading scientists confirm That if you are fully vaccinated, your risk of severe illness from COVID-19 is very low. In fact based on available data from the summer, Only one out of every 160,000 fully vaccinated Americans was hospitalized for covid per day. These are the facts. So here's where we stand the path ahead. Even with adult variant, it's not nearly as bad as last winter. What makes it incredibly more frustrating is that we have the tools to combat COVID-19 and a distinct minority of americans supported by a stink minority of elected officials are keeping us from turning the corner. These pandemic politics are referred to are are are making people sick cause you know, unvaccinated people to die. We cannot allow these actions to stand in the way of protecting the large majority of americans who have done their part. I want to get back to life is normal as your president. I'm announcing tonight a new plan to require more americans to be vaccinated to combat those blocking public health. My plan also increases tested, protects our economy and will make our kids safer in schools. It consists of six broad areas of action and many specific measures in each that each those actions you can read more about in White House dot gov. White House dot gov. The measures these are going to take time to have full impact. But if we implement them I believe and the scientists indicate that the months ahead we can reduce the number of unvaccinated americans, decrease hospitalizations and deaths and allow our Children to go to school safely and keep our economy strong by keeping businesses open first. We must increase vaccinations among the unvaccinated with new vaccination requirements. With nearly 80 million eligible Americans who have not gotten vaccinated. Many said they were waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA last month, the FDA granted that approval. So the time for wait is over this summer. We made progress through the combination of vaccine requirements and incentives as well as the FDA approval. four million more people got their first shot in august than they did in july we need to do more. This is not about freedom for personal choice. It's about protecting yourself and those around you. the people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love my job as president is to protect all americans. So tonight I'm announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers With 100 or more employees That together employ over 80 million workers to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week. Some of the biggest companies are already requiring this United Airlines, Disney, Tyson's Food and even Fox 온라인 바카라 게임. The bottom line, we're going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co workers. We're going to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the share of the work force that is vaccinated and businesses all across America. My plan will extend the vaccination requirements that I previously issued in the healthcare field. Already I've announced we'll be requiring vaccinations at all nursing home workers who treat patients on Medicare and Medicaid because I have that federal authority tonight, I'm using that same authority to expand that to cover those who work in hospitals, home health care facilities or other medical facilities. A total of 17 million healthcare workers. If you're seeking care at a health facility, you should be able to know that the people treating you are vaccinated. Simple, straightforward period. Next I will sign an executive order that will now require all executive branch federal employees to be vaccinated. All I've signed another executive order that will require federal contractors to do the same if you want to work with the federal government? Do businesses get vaccinated? If you want to do business with the federal government vaccinate your workforce. And tonight I'm removing one of the last remaining obstacles that make it difficult for you to get vaccinated. The Department of Labor will require employers with 100 or more workers to give those workers paid time off to get vaccinated. No one should lose pay in order to get vaccinated or take a loved one to get vaccinated. Today. In total, The vaccine requirements and my plan will affect about 100 million Americans 2/3 of all workers. And for other sectors, I issue this appeal to those of you running large entertainment venues from sports arenas to concert venues to movie theaters. Please require folks to get vaccinated or show a negative test as a condition of entry and to the nation's family physicians, pediatricians, GPS, general practitioners. You're the most trusted medical voice to your patients. You may be the one person who can get someone to change their mind about being vaccinated. Tonight, I'm asking each of you to reach out to your unvaccinated patients over the next two weeks and make a personal appeal to them to get the shot. America needs your personal involvement in this critical effort. My message to unvaccinated americans. Is this, what more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see? We've made vaccinations free safe and convenient the vaccine is FDA approval. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We've been patient but our patience is wearing thin and your refusal has cost all of us. So please do the right thing. But just don't take it from lee me listen to the voices of unvaccinated americans who are lying in hospital beds taking their final breath saying if only I'd gotten vaccinated. If only it's a tragedy, please don't let it become yours. 2nd piece of my plan is continuing to protect the vaccinated for the vast majority of you who have gotten vaccinated. I understand your anger at those who haven't gotten vaccinated. I understand the anxiety about getting a breakthrough case. But as the science makes clear if you're fully vaccinated, you're highly protected from severe illness Even if you get COVID-19. In fact, recent data indicates There is only one confirmed positive case for 5000 fully vaccinated Americans per day. You're as safe as possible and we're doing everything we can to keep it that way. Keep it that way. Keep you safe. That's where boosters command the shots that give you even more protection than after your second shot. Now I know there's been some confusion about boosters. So let me be clear last month, our top government doctors announced an initial plan for booster shots for vaccinated americans they believe that the booster is likely to provide the highest level of protection yet? Of course. The decision of which booster shots to give, when to start them and who will give them will be left completely to the scientists at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control. But while we wait, we've done our part, we bought enough boosters, enough booster shots and the distribution system is ready to administer them. As soon as they are authorized, those eligible will be able to get a booster right away In 10s of thousands of sites across the sites across the country for most americans at your nearby drugstore and for free. The 3rd piece of my plan is keeping and maybe the most important is keeping our Children safe and our schools open for any parent. It doesn't matter how low the risk of any illness or accident is when it comes to your child or grandchild. Trust me, I know. So let me speak to you directly, let me speak to you directly to help ease some of your worries. It comes down to two separate categories. Children ages 12 and older who are eligible for a vaccine now And Children ages 11 and under who are not yet eligible. The safest thing for your child 12 and older is to get them vaccinated. They get vaccinated for a lot of things. That's it get them vaccinated As of adults. Almost all the series. COVID-19 cases were seen among adolescents are an unvaccinated 12-17 year olds, an age group that lags behind in vaccination rates. So parents please get your teenager vaccinate. What about Children under the age of 12? Who can't get vaccinated? Yeah. Well The best way for a parent to protect their child under the age of 12 starts at home. Every parent, every team sibling, every caregiver around them should be vaccinated. Children have four times higher chance of getting hospitalized if they live in a state with low vaccination rates rather than states with high vaccination rates. Now, if you're a parent of a young child, you're wondering when will it be? When will it be the vaccine available for them? I strongly support independent scientific review For vaccine uses for Children under 12. We can't take shortcuts for that scientific work. But I made it clear I will do everything within my power to support the FDA with any resource that needs to continue to do this as safely and as quickly as possible. And the nation's top doctors are committed to keeping the public at large updated on the process so parents can plan none of the schools. We know that if schools follow the science and implement the safety measures like testing masking adequate ventilation systems would be provided the money for social distancing and vaccinations. Then Children can be safe from COVID-19 in schools today. About 90% of school staffs and teachers are vaccinated. We should get that to 100%. My administration has already acquired teachers at the schools run by the Defense Department because I have the authority as president in the federal system. The Defense Department in the Interior Department to get vaccinated. That's authority I possess. Tonight, I'm announcing That will require all of nearly 300,000 educators in the federal page program. Head start programs must be vaccinated as well to protect your youngest, our youngest, most precious americans and give parents the comfort. And tonight I'm calling on all governors to require vaccination for all teachers and staff. Some already have done so we need more to step up vaccination requirements of schools are nothing new. They work. They're overwhelmingly supported by educators and their unions and all school officials trying to do the right thing by our Children. I'll always be on your side. Let me be blunt. My plan also takes on elected officials in states that are undermining you and these life saving actions right now. Local school officials are trying to keep Children safe in a pandemic while their governor picks a fight with them and even threatens their salaries or their jobs. Talk about bullying in schools if they will not help these governors won't help speed the pandemic. I'll use my power as president to get them out of the way. The Department of Education has already begun to take legal action against states undermining protection that local school officials have ordered any teacher or school official who's pays with hell for doing the right thing. We will have that pay restored by the federal government. 100%. I promise you, I will have your back. The 4th piece of my plan is increasing testing and masking From the start. America has failed to do enough COVID-19 testing in order to better detect and control the delivery in. I'm taking steps tonight to make testing more available, more affordable and more convenient. I'll use the Defense Production Act to increase production of rapid test, including those that you can use at home. Well that production is ramping up. My administration has worked with top retailers like walmart, amazon and Kroger's. And tonight we're announcing that no later in the next week each of these outlets will start to sell at home rapid test kits at cost For the next three months. This immediate price reduction For at home test kits for up to 35% reduction will also expand expand free testing At 10,000 pharmacies around the country. And we'll commit, we're committing $2 billion dollars To purchase nearly 300 million rapid test for distribution to community health centers, food banks, schools so that every american no matter their income can access free and convenient test. This is important to everyone, particularly for a parent or a child with a child not old enough to be vaccinated, you'll be able to test them at home and test those around them. In addition To testing, we know masking helps stop the spread of COVID-19. That's why when I came into office, I required mask for all federal buildings on, on federal lands, on airlines and other modes of transportation. Today tonight I'm announcing that the Transportation Safety administration, the PSA will double the fines on travelers that refuse to mask if you break the rules, be prepared to pay and by the way, show some respect the anger you see on television toward flight attendants and others doing their job is wrong. It's ugly. The 5th piece of my plan is protecting our economic recovery because of our vaccination program and the american rescue plan, which we passed through early in my administration. We've had record job creation for a new administration Economic growth unmatched in 40 years. We cannot let unvaccinated. Do this progress undo. It turn it back. So tonight I'm announcing additional steps to strengthen our economic recovery. We'll be expanding COVID-19 economic injury disaster loan programs. That's a program that's gonna allow small businesses to borrow up to $2 million dollars From the current 500,000 To keep going of COVID-19 impacts on their sales. These low interest long term loans require no repayment for two years and we can use to hire and retain workers, purchase inventory or even pay down higher cost debt racked up since the pandemic began, I'll also be taking additional steps to help small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. Sixth, We're going to continue to improve the care of those who do get COVID-19. In early july I announced the deployment of surge response teams. These are teams comprised of experts from the Department of Health and Human Services, the C. D. C, the Defense Department and the federal Emergency Management Agency fema. Two areas in the country That need help to stem the spread of COVID-19. Since then, The federal government has deployed nearly 1000 staff including doctors, nurses, paramedics into 18 states. Today I'm announcing that the Defense Department will double the number of military health teams that they will deploy to help their fellow americans and hospitals around the country. Additionally, we're increasing the availability of new medicines recommended by real doctors not conspiracy conspiracy theorists. The monoclonal antibody treatments Have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization up to 70% for unvaccinated people at risk of developing severe severe disease. We've already distributed 1.4 million courses of these treatments to save lives and reduce the strain on hospitals. Tonight I'm announcing will increase the average pace of shipment across the country of free monoclonal antibody treatments by another 50%. Before I close, let me say this communities of color are disproportionately impacted by this virus and as we continue to battle Covid 19, we will ensure that equity continues to be at the center of our response will ensure that everyone is reached. My first responsibility as president is to protect the american people and make sure we have enough vaccine for every american, including enough boosters for every american who is approved to get one. We also know this virus transcends borders. That's why even as we execute this plan at home, we need to continue fighting the virus overseas continue to be the arsenal of vaccines. We're proud to have donated nearly 140 million vaccines over 90 countries. More than all other countries combined including europe china and Russia combined. That's american leadership on the global stage. And that's just the beginning. We've also now started a ship another 500 million Covid vaccines. Pfizer vaccines Purchase to donate to 100 lower-income countries in need of vaccines and I'll be announcing additional steps help the rest of the world. Later this month as I recently released the key parts of my pandemic preparedness plan so that America isn't caught flat footed with a new pandemic comes long gone as it will next month. I'm also going to release a plan in greater detail. So let me close this. We have some, we made so much progress during the past seven months of this pandemic. The recent increases in vaccinations in august already are having an impact in some states where case counts are dropping in recent days. Even so, we remain at a critical moment. A critical time. We have the tools now. We just have to finish the job with truth with science, with confidence And together, as one nation look, we're the United States America. There's nothing, not a single thing we're unable to do. If we do it together, let's stay together. God bless you all and all those who continue to serve on the front lines of this pandemic. May God protect our troops? Get back? Mhm.