- President Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic was over in an interview with CBS News on Sunday.
- "We're still doing a lot of work on it, but the pandemic is over," said Biden.
President Joe Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic was over in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, despite the US maintaining one of the highest death rates worldwide.
The comment was made during a tour of the Detroit Auto Show with 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley. As they were walking, Pelley asked Biden: "Is the pandemic over?"
"The pandemic is over," Biden said, but acknowledged the virus is still a problem. "We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lot of work on it," he added.
Gesturing to attendees who weren't wearing masks to support his point, Biden said "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."
While cases are falling, Biden's comments come as hundreds of Americans continue to die from the infectious disease. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US is averaging around 400 deaths per day.
As of September 17, data from Johns Hopkins University found that the US has some of the highest COVID-19 figures globally in terms of cases and deaths. Next to the US is Japan, with 1,139 deaths recorded over the previous week.
States across the US are rolling back pandemic-related restrictions such as lifting mask mandates. Federal regulations still require passengers flying to the US from international destinations to be vaccinated.
In May, the President told Americans to not grow numb as the country's death toll rose to 1 million people.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson from the World Health Organization said the "end is in sight" but urged countries to maintain their vigilance, according to Reuters.
The news outlet reported that experts from the organization will meet again in October to decide whether the pandemic is still an international public health emergency.