Biden Lays Out Covid Plan in Delaware Speech: ‘I’m Not Going to Shut Down the Country, I’m Going to Shut Down the Virus’

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech from Wilmington, Delaware Friday afternoon to lay out his plan for addressing the coronavirus pandemic, telling American voters, “I’m not going to shut down the country; I’m going to shut down the virus.”

Biden laid out several measures that he would employ to “put in place a national strategy that will position our country to finally get ahead of this virus and get back our lives.”

“Look, a pandemic doesn’t play favorites, nor will I,” said Biden. “As I said, no red states, no blue states, just the United States, united in our response, united in our purpose to stop the spread of Covid-19 and beat this virus.”

Biden’s plan included asking all the state governors to institute mask wearing mandates, and if any refused, he would go to mayors and county officials to encourage local measures.

“Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it’s a scientific imperative,” said Biden. “It’s a point of patriotic pride so we can pull our country out of this God-awful spiral we’re in.”

Biden also wanted to implement a seven-fold increase in the number of tests (essentially testing per day the number of people who are currently being tested per week), and providing support to allow quicker results, explaining that “widespread testing is needed to regain the health of our nation, to reopen safely and, critically, to stay open. Every school, every worker, every American should have easy access to regular, reliable, free testing.”

He also addressed the equipment gap, which he said was “unconscionable” to still have health care workers rationing N95 masks and other essential personal protective equipment, and the need to ensure a national stockpile of such items, manufactured in America and not dependent on any foreign country.

Biden next discussed the need for “consistent, reliable, trusted, detailed nationwide guidance and technical support for reopening safely,” noting the vitally important need that schools and businesses had for “science-based guidance” to help them make the right decisions.

“As I said last night, I’m not going to shut down the economy,” said Biden. “I’m not going to shut down the country. I’m going to shut down the virus.”

The last element of Biden’s plan was to “focus on developing safe and effective treatments and distributing a safe and effective vaccine,” noting that “life-saving therapies shouldn’t just be available to the wealthy and well connected,” but should instead be “available to everybody, available and affordable.”

Biden specifically pledged that as president, he would make sure that the vaccine was available to “every single person in this country in a way that’s equitable and accountable,” and “free to everyone, whether or not you’re insured.”

Biden ended the speech on an optimistic note, mentioning examples of Americans helping each other through this pandemic, teachers going “above and beyond” for their students, neighbors picking up groceries for each other, people making charitable donations to help their communities.

“There is no challenge we cannot meet,” said Biden, “no enemy we’re unable to face, no threat we can’t conquer, if we stand together united, bound by our common resolve, determination and values…I promise you, and you know it in your heart, we can do this. We must do this. And we will do it together. You know we can do it. This is the United States of America.”

He concluded with a prayer for the front line workers and everyone who had lost a loved one. “Thank you, and keep the faith.”

Watch the video clips above, via CNN, or the full speech below via YouTube: