Biden: Trump abdicated responsibility for a surging pandemic
US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has promised to provide free vaccines for Americans, prompting his rival Donald Trump to vow to end the coronavirus crisis soon.
"Once we have a safe and effective vaccine, it has to be free to everyone, whether or not you're insured," Biden said in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware on Friday as he outlined his plan to address the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice president said that if is elected on November 3rd, he would direct the federal government to "bulk-purchase as many doses as necessary of the COVID-19 vaccine so we can provide it free to those who are uninsured, under-insured or Medicaid-eligible."
In addition to vaccines, Biden said he would put a national testing plan in place and increase the production and distribution of personal protective gear such as masks.
Biden said, "I'm not going to shut down the economy. I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm going to shut down the virus."
Biden blasted Trump for his mishandling of the pandemic, noting that the incumbent had quit fighting the pandemic.
"He's quit on America. He just wants us to grow numb," Biden said.
Biden promised, if he wins, to ask Congress to pass a comprehensive COVID-19 Bill that he would sign within the first 10 days of taking office.
During their last debate held at Belmont University on Thursday, Biden warned of the "dark winter" ahead Americans.
“We're about to go into a dark winter, a dark winter," Biden warned.
Trump reacted to Biden's comments saying the former vice president and his Democratic allies were trying to scare people by overstating the virus threat.
"We're going to quickly end this pandemic," Trump said in central Florida.
"Normal life will fully resume," the incumbent Republican president promised.
In the meantime, researchers said on Friday that the US death toll from COVID-19 could surpass 500,000 by February unless nearly all Americans wear face masks.
Researches at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predict cold winter weather will drive Americans indoors where the deadly coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, would infect them.
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