By Hanna Park
(WASHINGTON) The White House will host a celebratory gathering on the Fourth of July to mark the country’s effective return to normalcy after 16 months since the coronavirus pandemic began, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The Independence Day holiday will be the largest event since Biden’s presidency, and more than 1,000 guests are expected to attend the gathering on the South Lawn. First responders, essential workers, military service members and their families will be invited for a cookout and to watch the fireworks over the National Mall.
“America is headed into a summer dramatically different from last year. A summer of freedom. A summer of joy. A summer of reunions and celebrations,” the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs said in an email, per The New York Times.
Visitors are also encouraged to attend the fireworks display on the National Mall, starting at 9:09 p.m. and lasting for 17 minutes, according to the National Parks Service.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also issued a statement, saying, “D.C. is open and ready to welcome back visitors” for the holiday.
“We thank President Biden and his team for acting with urgency to get the vaccine to the American people so that we could save lives, get our country open, and celebrate together once again,” Bowser added.
The large celebration displays the scope of what President Joe Biden had promised three months ago and comes as the White House launched an aggressive "month of action" for vaccination.
But with a recent slowdown in vaccination rates, particularly in Southern states, Biden may not reach his goal of vaccinating 70% of American adults by July 4. If the pace of vaccination continues on the current seven-day average, the nation will come in just shy of Biden's goal, with roughly 67% of adults getting vaccinated by the deadline, per a New York Times analysis.
Biden previously said the country could expect to celebrate with friends and family on the Fourth of July, as long as they got fully vaccinated and maintained mask-wearing, social distancing and other measures to curb the virus.
“July 4th with your loved ones is the goal,” the president said. “This is not the time to let up.”