{"id":262053,"date":"2021-05-29T00:07:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T21:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/biden-marks-vaccine-progress-thanks-troops-ahead-of-holiday\/"},"modified":"2021-05-29T00:07:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T21:07:21","slug":"biden-marks-vaccine-progress-thanks-troops-ahead-of-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/biden-marks-vaccine-progress-thanks-troops-ahead-of-holiday\/","title":{"rendered":"#Biden marks vaccine progress, thanks troops ahead of holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Biden marks vaccine progress, thanks troops ahead of holiday<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"Biden
\n President Joe Biden speaks at Sportrock Climbing Centers, Friday, May 28, 2021, in Alexandria, Va. Credit: AP Photo\/Evan Vucci
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

President Joe Biden started the Memorial Day weekend by visiting a rock climbing gym in northern Virginia as the state lifted all COVID-19 distancing and capacity restrictions at private businesses and much of the nation pushes toward a greater sense of normalcy.\n <\/p>\n

Biden sought to use the stop on Friday at Sportrock Climbing Centers\u2014an 18,000-square-foot (1,670-square-meter) space of climbing and bouldering walls, a gym, and yoga studios\u2014to celebrate progress made as the country looks to turn the corner on the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 593,000 Americans and 3.5 million people worldwide.<\/p>\n

The president, who later paid tribute to the armed forces with an address at an Air Force base elsewhere in Virginia, used the day to thank Americans who have already received vaccinations \u2014about 51% of Americans are now fully vaccinated\u2014and again urged Americans who haven’t to get their shot.<\/p>\n

“All over the country we’ve gone from pain and stagnation of a long dark winter to an economy on the move,” Biden said. He added, “Americans of every party, race, creed have come together and rolled up their sleeves\u2014literally\u2014and done their part.”<\/p>\n

This year, the long holiday weekend that marks the unofficial start to summer comes at a moment when the federal government and state governments are relaxing masking and social<\/a> distancing rules now that a majority of Americans are vaccinated and more people are looking to return to their pre-pandemic routines.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Biden
\n President Joe Biden speaks with president of Sportrock Climbing Centers Lillian Chao-Quinlan as he tours the center Friday, May 28, 2021, in Alexandria, Va. Credit: AP Photo\/Evan Vucci
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam lifted coronavirus-related restrictions on capacity and social distancing in the state on Friday. He had already lifted Virginia’s indoor mask mandate for fully vaccinated people on May 15 for most indoor settings, though businesses can still require masks if they want to.<\/p>\n

Biden app<\/a>eared enthralled by the Sportrock climbers, who seemed unfazed as the president watched them climb. Asked by a reporter if he’d like to give it a go, Biden responded that he would “like to” but suggested he start with one of the easier walls.<\/p>\n

“I’m not gonna try the angle wall. I’d try that wall,” Biden said with a grin, pointing to a flatter climbing wall.<\/p>\n

The visit came as Biden is pressing Republican lawmakers to back a massive infrastructure bill to rebuild roadways and bridges, replace millions of lead waterpipes and more\u2014something that the White House is pitching as a salve for an economy as the U.S. turns the corner on the worst public health crisis in more than a century.<\/p>\n