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Pres. Biden Outlines Plan To Have All Adults Vaccine-Eligible By May 1

WASHINGTON (CBS13/AP) -- President Joe Biden is outlining his plan to make all adult Americans eligible for vaccination by May 1 and get the nation back "closer to normal" by the Fourth of July.

The president is addressing the nation Thursday evening, one year into the coronavirus pandemic. Previewing his speech, officials say he will announce that he is deploying an additional 4,000 active-duty troops to support vaccination efforts and will allow more people -- such as medical students, veterinarians, and dentists -- to deliver shots.

He is also directing more doses toward some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 retail pharmacies, to make it easier for people to get vaccinated.

Pres. Biden is also expected to stress that the "fight is far from over." But he'll say the nation will be in a "far better place" by the Independence Day holiday if Americans wear masks, follow public health guidelines, and get vaccinated when it is their turn, an unnamed source told the Associated Press.

As of March 3, there were 10,998,301 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in California, 355,570 of which were administered in Sacramento County.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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