White House to Put in Place COVID-19 Winter Plan That Includes Up to 4 Free Rapid Tests
has independently confirmed the reporting. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year's.
The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the virus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the official said.
The Biden administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants.
The official said funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding. The official declined to detail how much is being spent on the new tests or from which programs they were diverted.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden administration makes at-home Covid tests available for free again this winterThe Biden administration had shut down the free at-home Covid test program in September because Congress did not pass additional funding.
Read more »
Biden Administration to Resume Mailing Free Covid Tests as Cases RiseThe Biden administration will resume providing free Covid tests to Americans, part of a wider effort to combat the virus as cases rise
Read more »
You can order free COVID tests again by mailPeople are gathering indoors for the holidays, and there's been an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The federal government says you should test often to try to prevent the spread of the virus.
Read more »
Free COVID-19 tests once again available to all Americans, White House reveals winter virus plansThe Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all American households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter.
Read more »
Free COVID-19 tests once again available to all Americans, White House reveals winter virus plansThe Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all American households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter.
Read more »
Americans can request 4 free COVID-19 tests per householdThe tests will be sent directly to Americans for free for a limited time and by request only, the White House said.
Read more »