President Joe Biden speaks to a person receiving a Coronavirus vaccination at a center in Virginia, April 6, 2021 (Evan Vucci/AP)

President Joe Biden announces that all US adults will be eligible for Coronavirus vaccinations by April 19.

However, he emphasized the ongoing need for caution to prevent a spike in cases amid the spread of Covid-19 variants.

We’re still in a life and death race against this virus. Until we get more people vaccinated, we need everyone to wash their hands, socially distance and mask up….

Think about it this way, better times are ahead.

Visiting a vaccination clinic in Virginia, Biden said the new target date should remove uncertainty about eligibility: “No more confusing rules, no more confusing restrictions.”

Some US states have said they will meet the timeline. Almost all had eventually said that they would achieve Biden’s previous marker of May 1, but the approach had varied state by state.

The President announced that more than 150 million doses have been given. He said 3/4 of US senior citizens had been inoculated, and 90% of Americans are within five miles from a vaccination site — but “it still isn’t enough”. So he pledged aid to community groups to drive seniors to vaccination sites, thanking “all the volunteers, houses of worship, and civic groups that are helping us in this effort”.

When you go home, get all your friends, tell them, “Get a shot when they can.” That’s how we’re going to beat this.

The Biden Administration reached its goal of 100 million vaccination in 100 days after Day 58, and raised the objective to 200 million doses. Vaccinations are now averaging 2.4 million per day, with the 4 million level reached last week.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said governors had been informed that more than 28 million doses will be delivered to states this week, bringing the total to 90 million in three weeks.

On Sunday, the White House’s top Coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci combined caution and optimism: “If we get a major surge…it is conceivable that we may have to wear masks in 2022. But if we continue to get people vaccinated…and the level of infection goes way down, we very likely may not have to.”

See also Coronavirus: Fauci Counters “Bizarre” Attacks from Senior Republicans

Biden concluded:

Despite the progress we’re making as a nation, I want every American to know in no uncertain terms that this fight isn’t over. This progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve can be reversed. Now’s not the time to let down. Now’s not the time to celebrate. It’s time to do what we do best as a country, do our duty, our jobs, taking care of one another.