United States on Sunday celebrated its 245th Independence anniversary.
Gatekeepers News reports that U.S President Joe Biden hosted about 1,000 people, including military families and workers involved in the COVID-19 response.
The celebration of the 245th Independence anniversary which was the largest White House event since Biden took office in January, was aimed at giving Americans something to celebrate as signs that normalcy has returned following a COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 600,000 lives in America.
Biden urged Americans to play their part in enduring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year, the Fourth of July is a day of special celebration for we are emerging from the darkness of … a year of pandemic and isolation, a year of pain, fear and heartbreaking loss,” Biden said, adding that “We never again want to be where we were a year ago today.”
Gatekeepers News reports that the country could not meet up with Biden’s goal to have 70% of U.S adults get at least one vaccine shot by Sunday.
According to reports, about 67% have been vaccinated as some people still resisted getting the jab, a major concern among health officials as the more aggressive Delta variant threatens to generate another surge.
The U.S President mourned the people who died, applauded Americans who contributed to the country’s emergency response and said vaccines were the best defence against new variants of the virus.
“It’s the most patriotic thing you can do,” he said of getting vaccinated.
Biden noted that the COVID-19 “no longer paralyzes our nation, and it’s in our power to make sure it never does again.”
After the speech, the president greeted guests and posed for photographs ahead of a 17-minute fireworks display which was set off from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
