May 4 coronavirus news

President Biden said Tuesday that the United States will send 60 million doses from its AstraZeneca vaccine stockpile to other nations by July 4.

“We are going to be, by the Fourth of July, have sent about 10% of what we have to other nations including some of the ones you mentioned,” Biden said during remarks at the White House on Tuesday. 

An administration official confirms that the 10% number is the 60 million doses the administration already committed to sharing with other countries should the US Food and Drug Administration issue an emergency use authorization for that vaccine. 

Biden added that he spoke with another head of state just today on the issue, but he wasn’t prepared to announce who.

“With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine which we had, we have sent that vaccine to Canada and to Mexico. And there are other countries that we're talking to now, as a matter of fact, I talked to a head of state today,” he said

Tuesday, President Biden also said he is sending India’s Prime Minister Modi “what he needs most,” which is the material and the parts to make vaccines work on their own.

On Tuesday, President Biden announced a plan to administer at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the US adult population by July 4 — a goal that allows for a continued slowing in the pace of vaccinations.

So far, about 145 million adults — about 56% of the adult population in the US — have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An average of about 882,000 adults has been added to that total each day over the past week. 

An additional 35 million adults will need to receive at least one dose of vaccine to reach Biden’s goal of 70%. If vaccinations continue at the current pace, 70% of adults will have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine by the second week of June. 

But with July 4 as the goal, the current pace of newly vaccinated adults can slow to an average of about 570,000 added to the total each day over the next two months — about 65% of the current pace. 

A steady decline of about 9% each week for the next nine weeks will keep vaccinations on track to reach the Biden administration’s goal to reach 70% of adults with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine by July 4. 

The pace of vaccinations has already been on the decline since reaching a peak about three weeks ago, and about 24% fewer adults received their first dose in the past seven days than in the week prior, CDC data shows.

President Biden recognized it will be hard to convince all Americans to get vaccinated, however he said he hopes those individuals will be convinced to do so by recognizing the risk they pose to others if they don’t get the vaccine. 

“We know we're going to get to a place where the doubters exist or the people who just are, I don't want to say lazy, just not sure how to get to where they want to go. It's going to be hard,” Biden said responding to a question on how difficult the next phase of the country’s vaccination efforts will be. 

Biden said it’s beyond his personal control to convince all Americans to get the vaccine, whereas the logistical effort in creating vaccine supply was something he controlled, which is why this new phase will be harder.  

Asked if the administration was looking into requiring vaccines in order for Americans to do certain things if people remain resistant to getting vaccinated, Biden said his focus is on getting effective spokespeople to reach out to those communities that are hesitant. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the White House announced that nearly $250 million will be awarded to state, territorial, and select large city governments to power their next phase of outreach efforts.

President Biden underscored on Tuesday that the coronavirus vaccine has been an apolitical endeavor led by science, crediting the Trump administration for approval of two Covid-19 vaccines in use in the US and thanking Republicans in Congress for their efforts.  

As the nation embarks on a new phase of its vaccination program, the administration has said it anticipates having to address more reluctant populations who have yet to get vaccinated.

Biden thanked prominent conservatives like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the “large group of Republican members of Congress who have medical training, who have advanced getting vaccinated.”

He also thanked the 105 million Americans “of every background who are fully protected from one of the deadliest pandemics in our history.”

“You know, there’s a lot of disinformation out there, but there’s one fact I want every American to know: people who are not fully vaccinated can still die every day from Covid-19,” Biden said.

“This is your choice: it’s life and death, and I hope everyone knows within themselves and makes the choice that’s going to help them and their loved ones be safe,” he continued.

President Biden announced his administration's goals for the the next phase of his Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan.

Biden broke down the plan into three areas of focus: 

First, the administration wants to make vaccines available to children between the ages of 12 and 15 as soon as a vaccine is authorized. The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine in children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal government official told CNN. "They can still get sick and spread the virus to others, so my hope is that if the vaccine is authorized, parents will take advantage of it and get their kids vaccinated," Biden said.

Second, he would like to make it more convenient for everyone to be able to have access to a vaccine shot. "We know that many adults have not been vaccinated because they have found it too confusing or too difficult or too inconvenient to get a shot. So, for those having trouble finding a location or making an appointment, we're going to make it easier than ever," the President said.

Biden announced the launch of a website to make it easier for people to find information, Vaccines.gov. People can also text their zip code to 438829 to find out information about vaccination sites. The administration is also encouraging state and local partners across the country to create walk-in hours and opening more facilities in rural areas.

Third, the Biden administration wants to tackle vaccine hesitancy, especially among young people.

"Now, we need to make the same progress for those under 65 years of age. There are a lot of younger people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, who believe they don't need it. Well, I want to be absolutely clear, you do need to get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it also reduces the risk that you give the virus to somebody else. You could save your life or the lives of people you love," Biden said.

President Biden just announced a new goal of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70% of the US adult population and having 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4.

"Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4th, but no one should wait. Let's try to hit that 70% mark, at least with one shot before that day. It's another huge goal," Biden said.

According to administration officials, Biden will aim to meet this goal by: 

The Biden administration will also ship new allocations of Covid-19 vaccines to rural health clinics across the nation and provide additional funding to help communities conduct outreach to help get more Americans vaccinated.

As of Tuesday, more than 105 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers Disease Control and Prevention, and 147 million Americans have had at least one dose of vaccine. Biden's new goal will require nearly 100 million additional shots in arms over the next 60 days, an official said.

So far, about 145 million adults – about 56% of the adult population in the US – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  About 104 million adults – more than 40% of the adult population in the US – is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.  

"We were initially focused on getting enough vaccines for every adult. Well, we did that. We have enough vaccines. Now that we have the vaccine supply, we're focused on convincing even more Americans to show up and get the vaccine that is available to them. If we succeed in this effort, as we did in the last, Americans will have taken a serious step to return to normal. That's July 4th. But we're not there yet," Biden said in his remarks, while also urging Americans to continue to follow CDC guidelines as his administration works to get more people vaccinated.

America's daily Covid-19 cases and deaths are now about one-fifth of what they were during their winter peaks. 

New Jersey is opening up its economy by lifting most curfews and capacity restrictions at restaurants and other businesses. Gov. Phil Murphy even announced the state also plans to offer a free beer to anyone over the age of 21 who shows their completed vaccination card at thirteen participating breweries throughout the state.

CNN's Miguel Marquez was live from Asbury Park with the latest. Watch:

About 1 in 3 eligible Canadians has had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the country's Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand said during a news conference Tuesday.

Anand added that more than 16.8 million vaccine doses have arrived in Canada and more than 14 million of those doses have been administered to date. She also noted that the country is on track to receive at least two million vaccine doses per week for each week in May and said that number is expected to increase in June.

Canada has recorded more than 1.2 million cases of Covid-19 and about 24,300 deaths since the pandemic began, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Tuesday. The country is still reporting an average of 7,900 new Covid-19 cases and approximately 47 new deaths daily, she said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau applauded Covid-19 case counts falling within First Nations communities, with current active cases at one-sixth of the level of what they were back in January.

Trudeau also announced that the country plans to invest $6 billion in indigenous infrastructure projects to “close gaps that far too many people still face.”

“Together we can and we will continue to move forward,” Trudeau said.

When asked about whether Canada would be requiring any sort of "vaccine passport" in the future and whether he was aware of any requirements the United States might institute, Trudeau cautioned that “this is not the time to travel. We haven’t reached that point yet.”

Trudeau acknowledged that as countries begin to open their borders and people start traveling again, “it would make sense for [Canada] to align with partners around the world on some sort of proof of vaccination or vaccine certification.”

“We are now working with allies, particularly in Europe, on that, but ultimately it is up to every country to determine what requirements they expect from incoming travelers,” Trudeau said, adding that he “can’t speak for the United States and the choices they might make around who to welcome into their country.”

CNN’s Tanika Gray contributed reporting to this post.

President Biden will set an ambitious new goal for the nation’s vaccination efforts, announcing on Tuesday a new target to have 70% of the US adult population at least partially vaccinated by July 4, White House officials said.

Biden will be making this announcement at 2:30 p.m. ET in the White House's State Dining Room.

“The President will set a goal of having 70% of adult Americans with at least one shot by July 4, and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by July 4,” a senior administration official briefing reporters said Tuesday.

That deadline, the official later clarified, will be for 160 million to receive one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the mRNA vaccines, but not necessarily two weeks after their final vaccination.

As of Tuesday, the official said, more than 105 million Americans are fully vaccinated, with 147 million Americans having at least one dose of vaccine. Biden’s new goal will require nearly 100 million additional shots in arms over the next 60 days, the official added.

Biden, the official said, will “make it very clear” that achieving this goal will require all Americans to do their part. 

To reach this milestone, the administration will be increasingly focusing “on groups of people that take time to reach,” by improving access via the administration’s federal pharmacy program partners through walk-in appointments. The administration will also encourage states to offer no-appointment options. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the official said, will increase its mobile units and ramp up smaller and pop-up sites. 

There will also be efforts to strengthen vaccine confidence via education and outreach. There will be $250 million in funding for community organization outreach, plus $130 million in funding for local and national organizations working on outreach to underserved communities. 

The administration will also be “bolstering” its response in rural communities, the official said, including sending vaccines directly to rural health clinics. 

Biden will also address the expected emergency use authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration for the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents 12 to 15 years of age. Extending the EUA to people in this age group would open Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to an additional 5% of the US population. 

Read more about the announcement here.