WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden said Sunday that "the pandemic is over", even though the United States continues to grapple with coronavirus infections that kill hundreds of Americans daily.

"The pandemic is over," Mr Biden said in an interview on CBS' 60 Minutes programme.

"We still have a problem with Covid. We're still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape, and so I think it's changing." he said.

The toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has diminished significantly since early in Mr Biden's term, when more than 3,000 Americans per day were dying, as enhanced care, medications and vaccinations have become more widely available.

But nearly 400 people a day continue to die from Covid-19 in the US, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr Biden spent more than two weeks isolated in the White House after two bouts with Covid-19, starting in July. His wife Jill contracted the virus in August.

Mr Biden has said the mild cases are a testament to the improvements in care during his presidency.

He has asked Congress for US$22.4 billion (S$31.5 billion) more in funding to prepare for a potential fall case surge. REUTERS