United States President Joe Biden speaks about the economy at the White House. Photo / AP
The battle over the pandemic in the United States is likely having longer-term political consequences that can't yet be fully measured.
Getting control of the coronavirus is the biggest priority in the country and for President Joe Biden's Administration.
It matters for lives and livelihoods, the economy, and the country's reputation abroad. Politically, it will be a big factor in the Midterm elections in November next year when Democratic control of Congress will be on the line.
There's a countdown clock ticking for the Democrats to make the most of their triple crown - the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives.
Republican party officials are consumed with navel-gazing over Donald Trump's past actions and future influence. Some party critics of Trump have faced censure and threats, thousands of rank and file members have dropped their party registration.
Political priorities are a thick stream running through Washington at the moment.
Biden and other Democratic leaders are pushing legislation on a Covid relief plan via a majority vote process which doesn't require Republican support.
Normally at least 10 Republican votes would be required for a bipartisan bill. The Democrats argue that polls show bipartisan support for the relief package, as it has been outlined, among the public.
They have valid reasons for urgency and to get what they want across. But they are without doubt flexing muscle while the GOP is going through a disastrously extreme version of the fallout that occurs when a ruling party fails.
Since entering office, Pres. Biden has signed more than three dozen executive actions addressing the pandemic, economy, immigration, climate crisis and more.
— ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2021
Here's a look at all of his executive orders, and other notable executive actions, so far: https://t.co/X2CllbOZTY
Biden's initial blitz of Executive Orders and policy announcements gave his coronavirus team a bit of breathing space as they tried to get to grips with a slow vaccine rollout and the new variants.
Biden bet that a national, science-based plan that makes better use of government resources would be more effective than what occurred under the Trump Administration - which deserves some credit for the fast pace of vaccine development last year.
There have also been quick decisions made in the past fortnight as the new team respond to conditions as they find them.
For example, more vaccine doses and home-testing kits have been ordered.
The Pentagon is deploying more than 1100 troops to five vaccination centres to aid the White House campaign. The aim is for 100 such centres across the country. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is also involved. American football stadiums have been offered as venues for mass vaccinations.
The Biden Administration is making use of the Defence Production Act to boost equipment and supplies for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine production, an increase in testing, and protective gear for health workers.
There are still huge challenges and the situation is in the balance. A new jobs report shows a sluggish economy. The country is still 9.9 million jobs down from a year ago.
But the rollout is starting to snowball, just as coronavirus case numbers fall.
By January 21, when Biden was inaugurated, two million Americans had been fully vaccinated. That has grown to eight million today.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases fell over the past two weeks, from 187,728 to 130,403. The country has had about 26.8 million cases and 459,000 deaths.
Johnson & Johnson has applied for US approval of its one-shot vaccine, which could be available by March. It can be stored in a normal fridge.
Since January 2021, the US has quadrupled the number of daily Covid-19 vaccine. But at this pace, experts caution, the country still might not be on track to reach herd immunity until 2022.https://t.co/OFUnBDYGb3
— Vox (@voxdotcom) February 5, 2021
Many US commentators had predicted that the lead-up to Trump's impeachment trial this Wednesday would distract from and disrupt Biden's agenda to tackle the coronavirus and economy.
That is not really what is happening. Trump and QAnon conspiracy spouters command a lot of media coverage, but Biden and the Democrats have got a lot done.
The Capitol invasion, impeachment, debate over the former president's role in the Republican Party, the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene and other wannabe inheritors of the Trumpian flame are instead mainly distracting the GOP.
Republicans have been unable to run a coherent defensive argument against Biden's relief package, complaining about the legislative process and the size of the price tag. They are instead having to go on record over their views of the party's future.
Greene, who has filled Trump's Twitter void since he was silenced, reacted to being booted off two congressional committees by saying she had been "freed" to push Republicans further to the right. On Trump she said: "The party is his. It doesn't belong to anybody else."
This Republican train wreck has given some party officials, such as Senator Mitt Romney and Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a chance to show out against the Trump wing. Senator Ben Sasse memorably said, "Politics isn't about the weird worship of one dude."
The fact that Trump remains catnip to the US media should not obscure the reality that most voters want help to get through the pandemic and for it to end. The Democrats have been unusually disciplined in staying focused on that bottom line.
They are hammering it home, and presenting their rivals as out of touch.
Biden said: "I believe the American people are looking right now to their government for help, to do our job, to not let them down. So I'm going to act. I'm going to act fast. I'd like to be doing it with the support of Republicans ... they're just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added: "We have been focused like a laser on getting this done. We hope to be able to put vaccines in people's arms, money in people's pockets, children safely in schools and workers in their jobs. That's what we are doing now."
Strong support (72% of voters) for Biden passing his American Rescue Plan in the latest @NavigatorSurvey. It's notable that 53% of GOP voters support Biden taking action to boost the economy. In our hyper-polarized world, that's a rare sight. pic.twitter.com/E8NJOrxOPu
— Nick Gourevitch (@nickgourevitch) February 4, 2021
The events of the past two weeks suggest that the majority of Republicans will be stuck to Trump and his followers for quite a while longer. That way means holding on to a shrinking base.
More moderate Republicans will have to decide whether to battle within or without the party.
Perhaps a younger member of that wing will gain traction and point out that the best way forward is to chase the votes of the wider public.
A lot is going to depend on how successful Biden is and how fast he achieves it.
Iran has vowed to respond, claiming its enriched uranium wasn’t destroyed.