The White House is shifting gears in the battle against COVID-19

The White House is shifting gears in the battle against COVID-19

　　Transcript¹

　　The Biden administration has launched a website to help people find test-to-treat sites, the last military surge unit is heading home and the person who led the administration's strategy is moving on.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　President Biden says the United States is moving into a less disruptive phase of the pandemic. So how is the administration adjusting? Here's NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

　　TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE²: At the height of the omicron wave, there were more than a thousand military personnel deployed³ to hospitals in hot spots around the country. Yesterday, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the last of those surge teams was sent off with applause.

　　(APPLAUSE)

　　KEITH: Dr. Michael Good is CEO of University of Utah Health.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　MICHAEL GOOD: I want to thank the U.S. Navy medical team for coming to our aid.

　　KEITH: Nationwide, hospitalizations are way down. And COVID deaths are finally falling, too. But there's a nagging⁴ sense that COVID may bring more unwelcome surprises. In remarks at the White House, Biden said COVID isn't over. But it no longer has to control people's lives.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Cases are ticking up, as we thought they might. But now, thanks to the foundation we've laid, America has the tools to protect people, all people.

　　KEITH: Biden was announcing the launch of a new website, COVID.gov, that is meant to be a one-stop shop for COVID information, testing and even treatment with anti-viral pills that can prevent hospitalization.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　BIDEN: No longer will Americans have to scour⁵ the internet to find vaccines⁶, treatments, tests or masks. It's all there.

　　KEITH: With this website, Dr. Leana Wen, who teaches public health at George Washington University, sees the White House making a shift in its emphasis.

　　LEANA WEN: Previously⁷, it was about government responsibility and government mandates⁸. Now it's about the government empowering individuals with the tools that they need.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　JEFF ZIENTS: Obviously, we could not have done this six or eight months ago because we didn't have all the tools we have now.

　　KEITH: Jeff Zients is the White House COVID response coordinator⁹. Antiviral pills and at-home rapid tests have only become widely available in the last couple of months. The supply finally caught up after the omicron wave crested¹⁰. So people may not be rushing to COVID.gov today. But Zients says this is about having everything ready when people need it.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　ZIENTS: I mean, we have the infrastructure¹¹ in place. At the same time, we need to make sure that we stay prepared, that we continue to have the tools to protect the American people.

　　KEITH: Zients says if another variant¹² sends hospitals back into crisis, those military medical surge units can be deployed again. At University of Utah Health, Dr. Kencee Graves says they are in much better shape than they were a month ago. But...

　　KENCEE GRAVES: Looking at any pandemic, on average, it ends socially before it ends medically, right? So socially, we just decide we're going to move on. But there's still sick patients in hospitals.

　　KEITH: She says, moving forward, she feels pretty good. But she's also looking over her shoulder at the BA.2 sub-variant of omicron or what might follow it.

　　GRAVES: So we look at Europe. Is that going to affect us? We look at New York. Is that going to affect us? And we just continue to evaluate the situation.

　　KEITH: She says, if they have to, they'll adapt, just as they have throughout this constantly changing pandemic. And it's with this context that the White House is urgently calling on Congress to pass new COVID preparedness funds. Wen says this is the time to be getting ready, not relaxing.

　　WEN: I mean, have we not learned that it is too late by the time you have a major surge on your hands to start ramping¹³ up?

　　KEITH: Bipartisan negotiations¹⁴ are ongoing¹⁵, with disagreement about how much is really needed and whether money could be pulled from somewhere else.

　　Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 scour   

v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷

参考例句：

• Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
• We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。

6 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 crested   

adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点

参考例句：

• a great crested grebe 凤头䴙䴘
• The stately mansion crested the hill. 庄严的大厦位于山顶。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

13 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。