VOA常速英语:拜登抨击特朗普政府疫苗分发低效

President-elect Joe Biden is criticizing the Trump administration for the pace of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. He also said, "things will get worse before they get better" when it comes to the pandemic. The president-elect made the statement during remarks in the U.S. city of Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday. He added that the next few weeks and months are going to be the hardest for the nation. Quote, "Maybe even the toughest during the entire pandemic." President-elect Biden went after the Trump administration over its vaccination efforts, warning that the project Operation Warp Speed is moving at a slower pace than needed.President Donald Trump deflected Biden's critique on Twitter Tuesday, saying it is up to the various states to distribute the shots once the federal government gets them (to) to specific areas.

Health (ex...) experts in South Sudan are criticizing organizers of a weekend concert in Juba with tens of thousands of people including the president. Concert goers gathered in a clear violation of the Health Ministry's COVID-19 protocols. Tanzanian music star Diamond Platnumz attracted all kinds of fans to the outdoor event at the Doctor John Garang Mausoleum, including President Salva Kiir. The vast majority of people ignored Health Ministry and World Health Organization directives to social distance or wear masks. President Kiir wore a face covering. A World Health Organization epidemiologist in South Sudan said new strains of COVID-19 have emerged that can spread more easily in South Sudan.

British lawmakers will vote on a Brexit deal on Wednesday. Prime Minster Boris Johnson will speak ahead of time, saying Britain will be able to trade with its European neighbors and keep control of its laws and destiny. The prime minister is referring to the 11th hour deal he clinched on December 24. The accord preserves Britain's zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the European Union's 450 million consumers, preventing the chaotic split business had feared. But it does not cover services, which make up 80 percent of the British economy, and trade in goods will still be hampered by red tape and higher costs. Johnson will say the deal resets Britain's relationship with its neighbors, ending its "half-hearted" membership of the European club and instead becoming a sovereign equal able to do things differently.

American Airlines flew a commercial flight using a Boeing 737 Max on Tuesday. It's the first flight in U.S. skies since Max planes were grounded after two deadly crashes in recent years. Via remote, I'm Liz Parker, VOA news.