The Bidens' July 4: Joe goes to mass at his hometown church as Jill speaks in front of Independence Hall before couple heads back to Washington to celebrate 'independence from COVID-19' 

• President Joe Biden spent his Independence Day morning attending mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware 
• Biden will head back to Washington, D.C. on Sunday afternoon for a BBQ at the White House with first responders and military families 
• He will make remarks celebrating 'independence from COVID-19'
• Biden and first lady Jill will then watch the fireworks display over the national mall from the White House

Joe Biden started his Independence Day with a trip to church in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

The president emerged from St. Joseph on the Brandywine on Sunday morning and was pictured walking through the cemetery, where his son Beau Biden is buried.

First lady Jill Biden, who is usually alongside her husband for church services, was not pictured this Sunday in Wilmington.

Instead, she was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania attending and speaking at the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony in front of Independence Hall. 

Biden spends the majority of his weekends away from Washington in Wilmington, where he is usually pictured attending Catholic mass once – sometime twice – during his two-day stay. 

The first couple will leave Wilmington Sunday afternoon to head back to Washington, D.C. for a July 4 celebration at the White House.

The president will make remarks to mark Independence Day, but the White House notes it will also be a speech celebrating 'independence from COVID-19'.

'In his remarks this evening, the President will celebrate the progress the country has made in its pandemic response,' a White House official said ahead of Biden's speech.

The official noted that due to the administration's vaccination efforts 'Americans across the country are able to celebrate this Fourth of July together.'

'The President will also reflect on the over 600,000 lives lost from the virus. He will note that, while we've made strong progress against the virus in the United States, the job is far from over,' the statement continues.

Essential workers and military families are invited to the Fourth of July BBQ at the White House ahead of Biden's remarks – despite concerns of the Delta variant.

'The President will thank the military families and essential workers who are attending the event for their sacrifices for our country, especially during the pandemic,' the White House official said. 

White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients defended the event to ABC News.

'The event at the White House is being done in the right way,' he said, assuring it is being conducted 'consistent with CDC guidelines.' 

Biden and First Lady Jill will then view the annual fireworks display over the National Mall from the White House.

Vice President Kamala Harris is spending her holiday at her home in Los Angeles, California. 

Before heading back to D.C., Biden stopped by Wilmington Country Club for a round of golf with former Senator Ted Kaufman. 

Ahead of the holiday, Biden's administration has lauded their vaccine push and insisted that celebrating July 4 in the traditional way is safe again – as long as all the people engaging in the festivities have received the jab.

However, the U.S. missed Biden's goal of getting 160 million Americans fully immunized by the mid-summer holiday. He also wanted at least 70 per cent of adults to have received at least one shot by July 4, 2021, a second vaccine goal that was not reached.

Zients, who succeeded Dr. Deborah Birx, said the failure could be due to young people who were made eligible for the vaccine much later than adults. 

He also told ABC's This Week on Sunday that this demographic has 'felt less vulnerable to the disease.'

'We made a lot of progress,' Zients praised in a separate interview with CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning. 'I think we're much further along than anyone would have anticipated at this point.'