FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - President Joe Biden is back in Washington D.C. after taking the stage and making a presidential plea to the entire country. The commander-in-chief urged all eligible Americans to receive the vaccine as the Delta variant ravages states, including Florida.
Biden said he does expect children under 12 years of age to be eligible for the vaccine soon.
As for Miami-Dade and Broward public schools, they said they do plan to move forward making masks optional for students, teachers and staff in the upcoming school year.
Broward Health joined the list of South Florida hospital systems limiting the number of visitors entering its facilities.
Patients are allowed one visitor at a time and children are only allowed to have their parents visit.
Jackson Memorial Hospital and Memorial Regional restricted visitors this week as well.
“It’s frustrating because it’s past beyond sadness,” said nurse Alix Zacharski.
Zacharski shared her frustrations with the CBS evening news.
“All of the processes that they go through, it’s incredible, it’s terrible,” she said. “It’s absolutely terrible.”
Jackson Health System is currently treating 146 COVID patients. Of those, 91% are unvaccinated.
Officials said the patients are getting younger.
“This is the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” said Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya.
“What I say to people who are worried about a new pandemic is ‘Get vaccinated,'” Biden said.
After six months in office, Biden continues to push more Americans to get vaccinated.
Now, his focus is the anti-vaxxers.
“This is simple, basic proposition,” Biden said. “If you’re vaccinated, you’re not gonna be hospitalized, you’re not gonna be in ICU units and you’re not gonna die.”
Health experts echoed the concerns of the president and countless hospital staff across the country.
“I don’t know that we should be panicked, but we should certainly be deeply concerned for those who are not vaccinated,” one expert said. “This is becoming a pandemic that has you in its sights.”
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