[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 66 (Thursday, April 8, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 18171-18172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07338]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 18171]]

                Proclamation 10175 of April 5, 2021

                
National Public Health Week, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                National Public Health Week has increased significance 
                this year, as our Nation mourns the loss of more than 
                half a million lives to COVID-19, and as we have come 
                to recognize just how essential our public health 
                efforts and public health workers truly are. Whether it 
                is the scientists and researchers who developed life-
                saving vaccines in record time; or local leaders who 
                have taken evidence-based action to keep their 
                communities safe; or the staff and volunteers who have 
                worked to slow the spread of the virus through testing, 
                case investigation, and contact tracing; or the 
                doctors, nurses, and clinicians who continue to provide 
                around-the-clock care to those who have fallen ill, 
                dedicated public health professionals on the front 
                lines of our response to COVID-19 deserve our 
                gratitude.

                During National Public Health Week, we ask everyone to 
                come together to help restore the health of our Nation. 
                Every American can do their patriotic duty for their 
                neighbors, their loved ones, and our country by 
                continuing to wear masks as recommended by the Centers 
                for Disease Control and Prevention, practicing physical 
                distancing, getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it is 
                their turn, and by expressing gratitude to public 
                health professionals who are seeing us through this 
                crisis and who are building a more robust, 
                comprehensive, and equitable public health system for 
                all.

                While defeating the coronavirus is our top public 
                health priority, our Nation must also focus on 
                improving our overall health and wellbeing. Greater 
                health is good for us all, and it will bolster our 
                national resilience in the face of new and existing 
                threats. The United States must prioritize and 
                continually invest in our public health system to 
                aggressively address health disparities that have been 
                exposed and worsened by COVID-19. We must also address 
                the environmental and climate factors--air and water 
                pollution, extreme weather, and climate-related 
                disaster events--that threaten public health in 
                communities nationwide. The American Jobs Plan will 
                help to achieve these goals, including by ensuring that 
                children who live along highways and fence lines of 
                industrial facilities will breathe easier because of 
                significant investments in clean energy and 
                infrastructure that promotes public health. Our Nation 
                must also take commonsense steps to address the gun 
                violence public health epidemic, including actions to 
                counter the historic spike in homicides occurring in 
                cities across the country and disproportionately 
                affecting Black and brown Americans. Only by addressing 
                the root causes of health inequity can we build a 
                fairer, stronger, more dependable health system for all 
                Americans.

                My Administration is committed to investing in our 
                public health system to not only defeat the pandemic, 
                but also to build a stronger public health system that 
                allows us to be ready for the next virus. The American 
                Rescue Plan provides critical funding to increase the 
                number of vaccination sites, which will help us get 
                Americans vaccinated more quickly so that we can get 
                back to our lives and loved ones. The law also invests 
                in COVID-19 containment measures such as testing and 
                contact tracing, funds our efforts to strengthen 
                domestic supply chains for critical medical equipment, 
                and makes health insurance more affordable and 
                accessible for millions

[[Page 18172]]

                of Americans. Finally, the law invests in crucial 
                measures like air quality monitoring, water and sewer 
                infrastructure, and brownfield remediation so that 
                Americans in every community can live in a healthy 
                environment.

                The American Rescue Plan does more than put checks in 
                Americans' pockets--it provides assistance to help 
                stabilize State, local, Tribal, and territorial budgets 
                and keep vital public health services running. It 
                provides the resources schools need to reopen safely, 
                allowing students to return to the classroom and 
                alleviating the negative health effects that come from 
                isolation, changes in routines, and loss of learning. 
                The American Rescue Plan will also mobilize a 
                generation of future leaders to serve in an enhanced 
                public health workforce, increasing our long-term 
                public health capacity. This law also provides much-
                needed help to nearly 1,400 Community Health Centers 
                that serve our most vulnerable populations, who are at 
                the highest risk of infection and adverse outcomes from 
                COVID-19.

                As we continue working tirelessly to defeat the 
                pandemic and build a stronger public health system for 
                the future, I ask every American to mark National 
                Public Health Week by remembering all those who give 
                their time, expertise, and care--and even put their 
                lives on the line--in service of a healthier, safer, 
                and stronger America for all of us.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 5 
                through April 11, 2021, as National Public Health Week. 
                I call on all citizens, government agencies, private 
                businesses, non-profit organizations, and other groups 
                to join in activities and take action to improve the 
                health of our Nation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-07338
Filed 4-7-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P