President Joe Biden told Americans they should keep wearing a mask, even after they get vaccinated for the coronavirus.
“Before you get the shot, and after, if you get the shots, and after, social distancing saves lives, wearing masks saves lives,” he said. “Making sure that you wash your hands with hot water, saves lives.”
Biden commented on the vaccine during a visit to a Pfizer manufacturing plant in Michigan with Gov. Gretchen Whitmore (D).
“This is not hyperbole, this is not a political statement, this is a reality, the science has demonstrated that,” he said.
Wearing a double mask as he toured the Pfizer plant, the president reassured Americans that the vaccines were safe.
“The vaccines are safe,” he said. “Please, for yourself, your family, your community, this country, take the vaccine when it’s your turn and available.”
Biden reminded Americans that he got both shots of the Pfizer vaccine. He added that Vice President Kamala Harris also got her vaccine shots.
“Listen to Dr. Fauci. Dr. Facui assured me that the COVID-19 vaccines were safe,” he said.
Biden said that it would be difficult to vaccinate everyone, especially among the elderly in minority communities.
“People get ill. People get confused. There’s a lot of people who aren’t able … my little granddaughter can use that cellphone of hers to do more in about 12 seconds than I can do in an hour,” he said.
Biden also said he wanted to make sure that the entire world got the coronavirus vaccine, not just Americans.
“It’s not enough that we find cures for Americans,” he said. “There needs to be cures that the world is able to take part in because you can’t build a wall or a fence high enough to keep a pandemic out.”
Biden also used the opportunity to hit critics of his $1.9 trillion spending plan to help the country fight the pandemic.
“What would they have me cut?” he asked. “What would they have me leave out?”
The president said that he could not predict the end of the coronavirus pandemic, but expressed hope that things would be better by Christmas.
“I believe we’ll be approaching normalcy by the end of this year and God willing this Christmas will be different than last, but I can’t make that commitment to you,” Biden said.