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Associated Press/Photo by Alex BrandonVice President Kamala Harris (left) and infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci (right) watch President Joe Biden sign executive orders in the White House on Thursday.Biden delivers COVID-19 orders
by Kent Covington
Posted 1/21/21, 06:19 pm
President Joe Biden signed 10 new directives on Thursday to fight the pandemic. He ordered the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a program to make vaccines available through local pharmacies starting next month, building on a plan devised by the Trump administration. He also issued executive orders mandating masks for interstate travel, expanding coronavirus tests, and requiring travelers from abroad to test negative and quarantine upon arrival. He told the departments of Education and Health and Human Services to provide clear guidance for reopening schools. States can tap into federal disaster relief funds for help in returning kids to classrooms.
How quickly will the new administration get to work? The Senate on Thursday confirmed Biden’s first Cabinet appointee, Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence. His nominee for secretary of health and human services, Xavier Becerra, likely will not come up for a vote before February. But the new head of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, does not need Senate confirmation and has already begun her work.
Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on Becerra and some of Biden’s other high-profile Cabinet nominees.
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Kent Covington
Kent is a reporter and news anchor for WORLD Radio. He spent nearly two decades in Christian and news/talk radio before joining WORLD in 2012. He resides in Atlanta, Ga. Follow him on Twitter @kentcovington.
Comments
SJBaptist
Posted: Fri, 01/22/2021 10:53 pmI am confused about the interstate travel bit. Does that mean that before I cross state lines in my car I must don a mask, even if no one else is with me in the vehicle? The airlines and airports already mandate this. How is his order different from what is already in place?