President Joe Biden arrived in Chester to start his national information tour about his economic relief plan, writes Julia Terruso for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Biden stopped at Smith Flooring, a Black-owned business in Chester, Tuesday afternoon, meeting with owners Kristen and James Smith and with elected officials.

The Smiths started their flooring company from their basement. Today, they have a warehouse that employs about a dozen people. 

“This is a great outfit. This is a union shop,” Biden said inside the warehouse. “These are people who work like the devil, and they can make a living wage, a decent wage. But 300,000 Pennsylvanians lost jobs — 300,000.”

Without specifically addressing the vaccine shortage that has been plaguing Delaware County, Biden highlighted his administration’s work to get vaccines distributed to better reach Black and brown communities.

“People hardest hit are in minority communities,” Biden said. “The rate at which they get COVID is higher; death rate is higher.”

The Smiths thanked Biden for coming to an area that doesn’t usually see presidents.

“Thank you for helping small business and small minority businesses,” Kristen said. “We’re grateful for the things that you’re doing.”

Read more in The Philadelphia Inquirer about President Biden’s visit to Chester.