President Joe Biden and world leaders made it clear at the recent ‘2nd Global Covid Summit‘ that the novel coronavirus was just the beginning. Watch:
“Prepare for the next health crisis because there will be others,” President Biden said in the clip.
“The pandemic is not over. And as it persists, it changes,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added.
“It’s misguided to think this pandemic is over,” the WHO’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “The pandemic is not over anywhere until it’s over everywhere.”
“We cannot be complacent, because the pandemic is not over,” EU President Ursula von der Leyen added.
“But as we know too well, the pandemic is not over,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi remarked.
“The pandemic is not over,” another added. “Craving a return to a pre pandemic normalcy rather than acknowledging that the virus may have other plans.”
“The World Health Assembly this month, WHO will present a plan to strengthen the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience,” Ghebreyesus said. “This includes the creation of a financial intermediary fund to support equitable access to life saving tools in the face of future epidemics and pandemics.”
“And we’re increasing our support for new pandemic preparedness and global health security fund that will be established at the World Bank this summer, with $450 million in seed funding,” Biden added.
“It is clear that a coordinated global response is required to combat future health emergencies,” Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi said.
“We continue our call to strengthen the global health security architecture with transparent, inclusive and collaborative processes,” Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez said.
“We support your proposal to set up a new fund for pandemic preparedness at the World Bank, operating in close coordination and cooperation with the WHO,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
“Come together to shape new international norms on these issues,” Vice President Kamala Harris said. “Together, we can establish common understandings that guide our collective action.”
“To strengthen the international health regulations and negotiate a new international instrument for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
“Vaccines,” Trudeau remarked.
Vaccines,” Biden echoes.
“We call for a policy commitment to boost vaccination,” Ghebreyesus stated.
“To help get shots in arms,” Harris remarked.
“Getting vaccines from tarmacs into arms,” Trudeau said.
“We also need to accelerate vaccine uptake and ensure vaccines make it into arms quickly and equitably,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
“And sustain our efforts to get shots in people’s arms all around the world,” Biden added. “Expand access to treatment and save lives everywhere.”
The White House recently announced United States and other nations’ commitments to this Covid-19 response endeavor coming out of the global summit.
“The Summit garnered new financial commitments totaling $3.2 billion, not yet announced, above and beyond pledges made to date in 2022. This includes nearly $2.5 billion for COVID-19 and related response activities and $712 million in new commitments toward a new pandemic preparedness and global health security fund at the World Bank. (Note: This builds on $250 million previously pledged for this fund.) We encourage partners to join, as much more is needed to control COVID-19 and build better health security.”
A Harvard-led study of 68 nations and 2,947 counties in the United States published in the European Journal of Epidemiology in December 2021 found that mRNA vaccines do not significantly stop the spread of Covid-19.
In late March, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and stated that 95% of people in the United States have some form of Covid protection — including from “infection-induced immunity.”
The Biden administration is spearheading an initiative to amend International Health Regulations with a proposal (Provisional agenda item 16.2) to the World Health Assembly that was made public in April.
According to the proposal, amendments to the International Health Regulations (such as regarding lockdowns, border closures, mask mandates, and vaccine mandates) would purportedly come into effect for all 194 member states.
“Pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article 55 of the International Health Regulations (2005), any amendments to the Regulations adopted by the Health Assembly would come into force for all States Parties on the same terms, and subject to the same rights and obligations, as provided for in Article 22 of the Constitution of WHO and Articles 59 to 64 of the International Health Regulations (2005),” the proposal reads.
The Biden administration is also recommending the following: intensifying ‘health surveillance’ of all countries and citizens; creating a global communication network that reports to the WHO; grants the WHO the authority to sanction non-compliant countries; bestows authority to Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to declare pandemics or emergencies; recognizes the WHO’s authority to determine thes steps a country should take in a pandemic response, including vaccine mandates; and authorizes funding for the WHO in the event of a “pandemic.’
However, any and all international agreements and foreign treaties must abide by the rights and powers delegated to the U.S. government under the Constitution.
Syndicated with licensed permission from Becker News. Follow Becker News on Telegram.
Current Founder, CEO and Chief Editor of Becker News. Former Writer & Associate Producer at Fox News for #1 top-rated prime-time cable news show. Former Director of Viral Media and Senior Managing Editor for award-winning startup website IJReview, which grew to a readership of 20-30 million Americans a month. Led editorial and social media team that was #1 ranked news & politics publisher on Facebook for story engagement. Writer whose thousands of digital articles have been read by over 100 million unique users.