Biden tells 60 Minutes that COVID-19 is still here but 'the pandemic is over'

President Biden covered a wide range of topics in an interview with 60 Minutes broadcast Sunday night, discussing foreign policy, the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago, his ideas on running for re-election, inflation, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "The president made news and will ignite a few controversies," host Scott Pelley predicted.
One area where Biden surprised administration officials, The Washington Post reports, is with his comments on COVID-19. Pelley, noting that he and Biden were walking through the first Detroit Auto Show in three years, asked if the pandemic is over. "The pandemic is over," Biden said. "We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it."
"The administration for months has maintained that the virus is on the retreat, citing the growing availability of vaccines, tests, and treatments to fight it and the population's expanding immunity," the Post reports, but about 400 Americans are still dying each day from the disease. And there would be policy implications if Biden declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We are not there yet, but the end is in sight," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the pandemic last week.
Biden also told Pelley he intends to run for re-election, but hasn't made a "firm decision" yet.
And Biden reiterated that he was given no heads-up about the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Florida residence and club. When he saw the photo of the top secret documents Trump evidently was keeping in his office, Biden said, he thought, "How that could possibly happen. How anyone could be that irresponsible. And I thought, What data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?"
Biden said he is deliberately staying out of the case. "I have not asked for the specifics of those documents because I don't want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take," he said. "I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not, in fact, engage in telling them how to prosecute or not."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'
The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendships
The Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Brazil's reborn dolls craze
Under The Radar The 'hyper-realistic' babies soaring in popularity in South American nation have spawned controversy
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments