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 U.S. agencies will coordinate to ensure people suffering from severe
long-term health problems are protected after the end of their
infections with the novel coronavirus, he said.
"Many Americans who seemingly recovered from the virus still face
lingering challenges like breathing problems, brain fog, chronic
pain or fatigue," Biden said. "These conditions can sometimes rise
to the level of a disability."
Around one in 10 COVID-19 patients are still unwell 12 weeks after
their acute infection, and many suffer symptoms for far longer,
according to a World Health Organization-led report published in
February.
Biden spoke at a Rose Garden event celebrating the 31st anniversary
of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which makes
it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities in
public accommodation, employment, transportation and community
living. Nearly 57 million Americans had some form of disability in
2010, the U.S. Census bureau reported.
The new effort will be aimed at making sure people with those
long-term COVID-19 symptoms "have access to the rights and resources
that are due under the disability law," Biden said.
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 That could include mandating
new accommodations for those disabilities at
restaurants, in workplaces, at school and in the
healthcare system.
The White House did not immediately provide
additional details on the program.
"This was a Democratic bill signed by a
Republican president," Biden said. "For our
nation, the ADA is more than a law" he said.
"It's a testament to our character as a people,
our character as Americans."
The effort comes as the fast-spreading Delta
variant and slower uptake of vaccines has
threatened to derail the administration's
efforts to control the pandemic.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional
reporting by Steve Holland and Merdie Nzanga;
Editing by Heather Timmons and Dan Grebler)
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