Singer Dolly Parton receives the Coronavirus vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, March 2, 2021

President Joe Biden says the Government has now obtained enough Coronavirus vaccines for every adult American to be inoculated by the end of May.

Speaking from the White House, Biden announced a “historic deal” in which the pharmaceutical company Merck would help manufacture the vaccine of rival Johnson & Johnson, approved for use last weekend.

The President added that the Administration has invoked the Defense Production Act and given enough support to both companies for round-the-clock manufacture of the vaccine, the third in the US after Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

As a consequence of the stepped-up process that I’ve ordered and just outlined, this country will have enough vaccine supply — I’ll say it again — for every adult in America by the end of May. By the end of May. That’s progress — important progress.

Johnson & Johnson signed a deal in late February with the French manufacturer Sanofi to deliver vaccines in Europe. Sanofi and the Swiss companies Novartis have also signed deals with Pfizer for European manufacturer.

Administration officials were concerned when Johnson & Johnson said that it could not fulfil its initial plan of 37 million doses by the end of March, delivering only 20 million.

In negotiations through February, the officials urged Johnson & Johnson to accept that they needed help, while approaching Merck to assist.

Merck said on Tuesday that the Government will provide $269 million to adapt two existing facilities to produce Coronavirus vaccines.

The Administration took office on January 20 with the goal of 100 million vaccines in 100 days. Biden noted that 50 million have been administered in the first 37 days.

As of Tuesday, about 51.7 million people have received at least one dose, with about 26.1 million fully vaccinated.

“We have a long way to go,” Biden added, “But we are going to do everything we can to make it happen.”

The US death toll reached 516,476 on Tuesday, an increase of 2,143 in 24 hours. Confirmed cases are 28,718,025, a rise of 58,241.

Texas Governor, Defying Advice, Orders Full Reopening

Biden cautioned, “We cannot let our guard down now or assure that victory is inevitable.We can’t assume that.”

On Monday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, spoke of the threat from mutations of the virus.

At this level of cases, with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained. We have the ability to stop a potential fourth surge of cases in this country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Government’s top Coronavirus advisor, noted on Sunday, “It’s really too premature right now to be pulling back too much.”

See also Dr. Fauci to Americans — Take the Coronavirus Vaccines

But on Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott withdrew the state’s mask requirement and mandated a full reopening of businesses.

“It is now time to open Texas 100 percent,” Abbott maintained, even as he said, “Covid has not suddenly disappeared.”

While Abbott went farther than other state leaders, measures were also being eased across the US.

Mississippi has also terminated its mask mandate. Massachusetts lifted capacity limits on restaurants. South Carolina removed restrictions on large gatherings and on restaurants serving after 11 p.m., while North Carolina reopened bars. The city of San Francisco announced that indoor dining, museums, movie theaters and gyms will reopen on a limited basis.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Tuesday that she is softening restrictions on businesses and allowing family members who have tested negative to visit nursing home residents. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker also said it is time to ease measures on businesses, while telling peopole continue to wear masks in public.

Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Maryland, expressed concern:

Rather than opening a few lower-risk things and seeing just to make sure it doesn’t change the numbers, it just feels like they’re just kind of opening the floodgates.

My son is due at the end of the week to attend hybrid learning for the first time. Meanwhile, the restaurant restrictions have been lifted, the movie theaters are coming back, and it just feels like, let him at least get into the classroom first.