Speaking on CBS’ 60 Minutes program, the US president hailed the end of the epidemic. However, he added: “We still have a problem with COVID. “We are still doing a lot of work on this. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, nobody is wearing masks. “Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so, I think it’s changing.” Mr. Biden was speaking on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Show, an event that drew thousands of visitors. The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has improved significantly since the beginning of Mr. Biden’s tenure, when more than 3,000 Americans were dying each day, thanks to more widely available enhanced care, drugs and vaccinations. Read more: End of COVID-19 pandemic ‘in sight’, says World Health Organization However, nearly 400 people a day continue to die of COVID-19, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The president spent more than two weeks in isolation at the White House after two bouts with the coronavirus that began in July. His wife Jill contracted the virus in August. Mr. Biden said the mild cases were a testament to improvements in care during his presidency. It also asked Congress for $22.4 billion (£19.6 billion) in extra funding to prepare for a possible spike in infections in the fall.
