US President Joe Biden is preparing to hold a huge party, on Independence Day, on Sunday, to celebrate the success in containing the outbreak of the Corona virus, amid continuing fears of its spread in areas of the country with low vaccination rates.
The president and his wife, Jill Biden, will receive in the largest event in the White House since taking office, thousands of military personnel, their families, and workers on the front lines to combat the epidemic.
Biden is expected to declare "independence from the virus" after a fireworks display in the "National Mall" square in central Washington, which traditionally attracts thousands.
Attendance at the Washington public event was small during last year's National Day holiday as the epidemic neared its peak and protests against racism and police violence across the country.
After topping the list of countries most affected by the epidemic, with more than 600,000 deaths, the United States has turned into a model for controlling the emerging corona virus.
With hospitalizations and deaths due to the virus down by 90 percent since January and most suspended activities resumed, the president will focus on the change in the country during his speech from the South Lawn of the White House.
"We have a lot to celebrate," White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zents told ABC. "I think we've come a lot longer than anyone expected in this fight against the pandemic."
- 'Delta' threat
But the pleasure will not be at its highest due to the failure of the White House to achieve its much-touted goal of vaccinating seven out of ten adults with a dose of vaccine by Independence Day.
Opponents of holding the ceremony in the White House expressed concern that it might send the wrong message to people, as only 46 percent of Americans were fully vaccinated, and it was spread in areas with low vaccination, the highly contagious delta mutant.
Public health officials are highlighting large rural areas whose hospitals are beginning to fill up again, especially in Utah, Missouri, Arkansas and Wyoming.
The most prominent infectious disease expert in America, Anthony Fauci, told "NBC" that the unvaccinated currently represent 99.2 percent of the deaths as a result of the virus.
Meanwhile, the celebration will be a new opportunity for Joe Biden to talk about the country's economic prospects as he struggles to garner support for his economic plan in Congress.
Negotiations continue between the Democratic and Republican parties over the infrastructure modernization plan, and a heated debate within his party looms over a much broader spending package that does not have the Republican support.
Meanwhile, the president visited a cherry farm in Michigan Saturday to promote the positive employment report for the month of June, which he saw as a sign of the recovery of the US economy.
- "American Dream"
The Biden administration has also sent ministers and other officials to sporting events, cookouts and festivals across the country as part of an official tour.
The White House shows a lot of confidence, and six out of 10 participants in a new poll conducted by the "Washington Post" and "ABC" network published Sunday, gave positive assessments of Biden for his handling of the epidemic.
Images of the crowded White House lawn will be reflected in celebration scenes across the country, as New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and other cities hold their own celebrations.
On the West Coast, San Diego is gearing up for one of the biggest Independence Day parties in the country.
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