WE'RE GOING TO BREAK IN HERE AND GO LIVE TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HEADING TO THE ROSE GARDEN.
GETTING A LOT OF APPLAUSE AS HE'S NOW FINALLY OUT OF
ISOLATION. HAS TESTED NEGATIVE FOR COVID.
LET'S LISTEN TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
♪ >> AS I WAS WALKING OUT, I
THOUGHT I HEARD A RUMBLING IN MY STAFF SAYING, "OH, HE'S BACK."
THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND. HELLO, EVERYONE.
I'VE JUST TESTED NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19 AFTER ISOLATING FORK
FIVE DAYS. [ CHEERS ]
THANKFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO WORK IN PERSONME.
I WANT TO THANK YOU YOU FORGOTT. I WANT TO THANK THE MEDICAL TEAMOR
FOR THE INCREDIBLE CARE THEY GAVE ME.
FORTUNATELY, GOD THANKFULLY, GOD WILLING, MY SYMPTOMS WERE MILD.
MY RECOVERY WAS QUICK, AND I'M FEELING GREAT.
THE ENTIRE TIME I IN ISOLATION I WAS ABLE TO WORK, TO CARRY OUT
THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE AND WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTION.
IT'S A REAL STATEMENT WHERE WE ARE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
COVID-19. RIGHT NOW WE'RE -- WE ARE FACING
A NEW VARIANT, THE BA.5 VARIANT. A VERY TRANSMISSIBLE VERSION OF
OMICRON VARIANT WE SAW HERE THIS PAST WINTER.
IN FACT, THIS NEW VARIANT THAT INFECTED ME IS GETTING A LOT OF
PEOPLE INFECTED ALL AROUND THE WORLD, NOT JUST HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES. WE SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO
TRY TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
MY ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING
AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE VENTILATION IN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR PUBLIC
BUILDINGS. WE'VE MADE TESTS WIDELY
AVAILABLE SO YOU CAN TAKE ONE BEFORE ATTENDING A LARGE INDOOR
GATHERING OR VISITING WITH HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS.
WE'VE MADE HIGH-QUALITY MASKS AVAILABLE FOR FREE.
SO YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WEARING A MASK WHEN YOU'RE IN A CROWDED
INDOOR PUBLIC PLACE. THESE PRECAUTIONS ADD AN EXTRA
LAYER OF PROTECTION FOR YOU AND FOR THOSE AROUND YOU.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT BA.5 MEANS MANY OF US ARE STILL GOING
TO GET COVID EVEN IF WE TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS COVID IS STILL WITH US AS IT HAS BEEN FOR
2.5 YEARS. BUT OUR FIGHT AGAINST COVID IS
MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE. WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW IS OUR
ABILITY TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM SERIOUS ILLNESS DUE TO
COVID. IN FACT, THAT'S RADICALLY
DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IT WAS JUST A YEAR AGO.
COVID ISN'T GONE, BUT EVEN WITH CASES CLIMBING IN THIS COUNTRY,
COVID DEATHS ARE DOWN NEARLY 90%, AND WHEN I TOOK OFFICE,
THAT'S 90% DIFFERENCE FROM TODAY AND WHEN I TOOK OFFICE.
THAT'S WHAT'S NEW. THAT'S WHAT'S NEW IN COVID
RESPONSE. DIFFERENT FROM WHERE WE WERE
JUST A YEAR AGO. EVEN IF COVID -- EVEN IF YOU GET
COVID, YOU CAN AVOID WINDING UP WITH A SEVERE CASE.
YOU CAN NOW PREVENT MOST COVID DEATHS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THREE
FREE TOOLS MY ADMINISTRATION HAS INVESTED IN AND DISTRIBUTED THIS
PAST YEAR -- BOOSTER SHOTS, AT-HOME TESTS, EASY-TO-USE,
EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS. WE'VE GOT THROUGH COVID WITH NO
FEAR -- I GOT THROUGH IT WITH NO FEAR.
A VERY MILD DISCOMFORT BECAUSE OF THESE ESSENTIALS, LIFESAVING
TOOLS. AND GUESS WHAT -- I WANT TO
REMIND EVERYBODY, THEY ARE FREE. THEY ARE CONVENIENT, AND THEY
ARE SAFE, AND THEY WORK. FIRST, BOOSTER SHOTS.
THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE A YEAR AGO.
THEY ARE NOW EVERYWHERE. EVERY PERSON AGED 5 AND OVER
SHOULD GET A BOOSTER SHOT. IF YOU'RE OVER 50 YEARS OLD, YOU
SHOULD GET TWO BOOSTER SHOTS. I DID, AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR
BOOSTERS, ONE IF YOU'RE UNDER 50, TWO IT YOU'RE OVER 50, YOUR
ODDS OF GETTING SEVERELY ILL FROM COVID ARE VERY, VERY LOW.
EVEN OLDER AMERICANS ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO GET SEVERE COVID IF
THEY HAVE TWO BOOSTER SHOTS. MOST COVID DEATHS ARE AMONG
THOSE WHO ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON THEIR SHOTS, THEIR COVID
VACCINATIONS. SO IF YOU'RE OVER 50 AND YOU
HAVEN'T GOTTEN A BOOSTER SHOT THIS YEAR, GO GET ONE RIGHT
AWAY. GO TO COVID.GOV, TYPE IN YOUR
ZIP CODE, AND FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET A BOOSTER SHOT FOR
FREE. USUALLY AT A SITE THAT'S LESS
THAN FIVE MILES FROM YOUR HOME. SECOND, AT-HOME TESTS.
A YEAR AGO AT-HOME TESTS WERE RARE AND EXPENSIVE.
M NOW EVERYONE IN AMERICA CAN GET
THEM FOR TFREE SHIPPED TO THEIR DOOR, SHIPPED TO THEIR DOOR.
THERE'S NO EXCUSE. GO TO COVID.GOV AND ORDER
AT-HOME TESTS FOR FREE. TESTING TO FIND OUT IF YOUR
SYMPTOMS MEAN YOU HAVE COVID IS CRITICAL IN GETTING TREATMENT
QUICKLY. THIRD, TREATMENTS.
IF YOU TEST POSITIVE, YOU HAVE A NEW POWERFUL -- WE HAVE A NEW
POWERFUL TREATMENT CALLED PAXLOVID.
IT WASN'T AVAILABLE A YEAR AGO. IT'S NOW -- IT'S A PILL, AND NOW
YOU CAN TAKE THESE PILLS AT HOME.
YOU CAN GET THEM FOR FREE AT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LOCAL DRUG
STORES AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION, THE FDA, EVEN PUT IN A SPECIAL RULE SO MANY
PHARMACISTS CAN PRESCRIBE THESE -- THIS PARTICULAR DRUG.
SO YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR TO GET A
PRESCRIPTION. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE USED
PAXLOVID. PAXLOVID.
I TELL YOU WHAT -- I THINK IT'S -- I USED IT -- PAXLOVID
INCLUDING ME. THIS LIFESAVING DRUG REDUCES
RISKS OF HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH FROM COVID-19 BY ABOUT
90%. AGAIN, IT'S FREE, SAFE, AND EASY
TO TAKE. AND WE MOVE QUICKLY TO MAKE IT
WIDELY AVAILABLE INCLUDING TO THOUSANDS OF CONVENIENT TESTS TO
TREAT SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET TESTED, AND IF YOU NEED IT,
PAXLOVID IS AT THE READY RIGHT THEN AND THERE WHEN YOU MAKE
YOUR VISIT. AGAIN, GO TO COVID.GOV TO FIND
WHERE TESTS AND TREAT SITES ARE NEAR YOU.
HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE -- WHEN MY PREDECESSOR GOT COVID, HE HAD
TO GET HELICOPTERED TO WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER.
HE WAS SEVERELY ILL. THANKFULLY HE RECOVERED.
WHEN I GOT COVID, I WORKED FROM UPSTAIRS IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND
THE OFFICES UPSTAIRS AND FOR THE THE DIFFERENCE IS VACCINATIONS
OF COURSE. BUT ALSO NEW TOOLS FREE TO ALL
AND WIDELY AVAILABLE. YOU DON'T NEED TO BE PRESIDENT
TO GET THESE TOOLS TO USE FOR YOUR DEFENSE.
IN FACT THE SAME BOOSTER SHOTS, THE SAME AT HOME TESTS, THE SAME
TREATMENT THAT I GOT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU.
MY ADMINISTRATION MADE SURE THAT ALL AMERICANS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THOSE TOOLS.
COVID WAS KILLING THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS A DAY WHEN I GOT HERE.
THAT ISN'T THE CASE ANYMORE. YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT FEAR BY
DOING WHAT I DID, GET BOOSTED, GET TESTED AND GET TREATMENT.
AT THE SAME TIME MY ADMINISTRATION REMAINS VIGILANT.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO KEEP YOU FROM GETTING SEVERELY
ILL OR DYING FROM COVID. BUT WE'RE NOT STOPPING THERE.
EARLIER THIS WEEK WE HAD A CONFERENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
FOR ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF VACCINES WITH A GOAL OF KEEPING
PEOPLE FROM GETTING SICK IN THE FIRST PLARCE, GETTING COVID AT
ALL. LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS.
OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, MY ADMINISTRATION HAS LEFT NO STONE
UNTURNED IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST THIS PANDEMIC.
NONE. WE BROUGHT DOWN DEATHS BY NEARLY
90% SINCE I TOOK OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE HELP OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN
THIS ROSE GARDEN. BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS
RESPONDED. GRANDPARENTS ARE HUGGING THEIR
G GRANDKIDS AGAIN.
WEDDINGS AND CELEBRATIONS ARE HAPPENING IN PERSON AGAIN.
SO LET'S KEEP EMERGING FROM THE DARK WITH HOPE AND LIGHT FROM
WHAT CAN COME. GET VACCINATED IF YOU HAVEN'T
ALREADY. AND NOW GET BOOSTED.
ORDER YOUR FREE TEST AND IF YOU GET SICK, AND TEST POSITIVE,
SEEK TREATMENT. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE
LIFE-SAVING TOOLS. WE HAVE MORE OF THESE TOOLS THAN
WE EVER HAD BEFORE. AND TO MY FRIENDS IN CONGRESS,
LET'S KEEP INVESTING IN THESE TOOLS.
VACCINATIONS, TREATMENTS, TESTS. AND MORE SO WE CAN HELP MAKE
THEM AVAILABLE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
LET'S GET MOVING. WHEN I SAY PERMANENT BASIS, AS
HON LONG AS THEY ARE NEEDED.
LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD SAFELY.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AND NOW I GET TO GO BACK TO THE
OVAL OFFICE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
>> DEFINITELY NOT TAKING QUESTIONS AS HE WALKED BACK INTO
THE OVAL OFFICE. KAITLAN COLLINS IS STANDING BY
WITH US WHO WAS IN THE ROSE GARDEN.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE IS FEELING GREAT, SAYS HE GOT THROUGH IT
WITHOUT ANY FEAR. >> Reporter: AND THE PRESIDENT
USED THIS APPEARANCE, HIS FIRST ONE SINCE LAST THURSDAY OF
COURSE WHEN HE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AS HE WAS ON HIS
WAY FOR A FULL DAY OF EVENTS TO TOUT THE TREATMENTS THAT HE'S
GOTTEN, THE VACCINES, BOOSTER SHOTS, PAXLOVID SAYING THAT HE
DOES BELIEVE THAT HELPED HIM HAVE A MILD CASE AND EVEN
INVOKED HIS PREDECESSOR'S CASE WITH COVID-19 WHEN PRESIDENT
TRUMP TESTED POSITIVE AND WE SAW HIM MAKE THE TRIP FROM THE
RESIDENCE OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO MARINE ONE SO HE COULD GO TO
WALTER REED HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS THERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
SO HE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT, THE
DIFFERENCE INM THE TREATMENTS AD WHY HE HAD SUCH A DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE THAN HIS PREDECESSOR DID.
SO HE WAS PUSHING FOR THAT TELLING PEOPLE IF THEY ARE OVER
50 YEARS OLD, THEY NEED TO GET A BOOSTER.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THEY WOULD SOON BE AUTHORIZED FOR
THOSE UNDER 50. SO USING HIS OWN DIAGNOSIS TO
PUSH THAT MESSAGE. HE DID NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND THERE ARE MANY OF THEM ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK AS IT HAS
REALLY BECOME THIS MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE
ECONOMY WITH THE NUMBERS EXPECTED TODAY, POTENTIAL
INTEREST RATE HIKE FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE, SECOND QUARTER
FEDERAL RESERVE, SECOND QUARTER GDP NUMBERINGS COMING OUT TOMORROW
HE SAID HE'S GOING BACK TO WORK
IT"S GREAT TO SEE YOU KAITLAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH