Biden attended a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York ahead of his address Wednesday to the United Nations General Assembly. At one point, speaking about the pandemic efforts, Biden referred to his comments to CBS’ Scott Pelley last week, in which he said the pandemic was “over.” Biden acknowledged he took “criticism” over the comments, adding, “But basically he’s not where he was.” The president also urged those in attendance to get booster shots if they haven’t already. Biden engaged public health experts and some lawmakers for his remarks on “60 Minutes” at last week’s Detroit Auto Show, the first time the event has been held at full capacity since the pandemic began. “The pandemic is over,” he told the program. “We still have a problem with COVID. We are still doing a lot of work on it. It is — but the pandemic is over. if you notice, no one wears masks. All appear to be in very good condition. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example.” The United States is still averaging more than 400 deaths a day from COVID-19, according to New York Times data, and more than 1 million Americans have died from the virus since the pandemic began in early 2020. . Energy & Environment — Manchin hits out at ‘revenge politics’ amid GOP opposition Health Care — Graham says abortion access a federal issue Highly contagious variants have spread around the world, making it nearly impossible to completely eradicate COVID-19. As a result, the Biden administration has focused its messaging on the importance of vaccination and booster shots to boost immunity, as well as the widespread availability of antiviral pills and other forms of treatment for those who contract the virus. Tuesday’s fundraiser drew about 100 guests and raised nearly $2 million for the Democratic National Committee. Among those in attendance were New York City Mayor Eric Adams and actor Robert De Niro.
