Biden to send Americans home half a billion coronavirus tests

US President Joe Biden said 500 million rapid Covid tests will be available free of charge amid new measures to tackle the growing omicron strain. BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

Biden also announced increased testing and military support for hospitals.

“This is not March 2020,” he said. -We are ready. We know more."

Omicron has become the dominant strain in the United States, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all new infections. It was first discovered in southern Africa last month, but has now spread around the world.

Only one death in the United States was attributed to the new strain: a 50-year-old man from Harris County, Texas, had an underlying medical condition and was not vaccinated.

Although 73% of American adults are fully vaccinated against Covid, the administration remains concerned about those who did not get the shots.

Speaking on December 21, Biden again called on Americans to protect themselves and get vaccinated. He admitted that some vaccinated Americans will also be infected, but stressed that the unvaccinated have "a significantly higher risk of being hospitalized or even dying."

On the subject: Rite Aid will close dozens of pharmacies in the US

Those who have been vaccinated and not infected with Covid-19 can continue to celebrate Christmas, the president said.

The White House said the new measures "will soften the impact of unvaccinated people on our health care system."

In the same speech, he admitted that his demands for vaccinations were "unpopular."

“My administration put them in place not to control your life, but to save your life and the lives of others,” he said.

His administration faced a barrage of lawsuits as it pressed federal contractors, healthcare providers and private companies to ensure that their employees were vaccinated.

Biden also praised former President Donald Trump, who was booed on December 19 after he told an audience in Dallas, Texas that he had been boosted.

“This may be one of the few things he and I agree on,” Biden said of his political rival.

Key measures:

• 500 million home rapid (antigen / flux) tests will be purchased and shipped free of charge to all Americans who request them from January. Kits can currently range from $ 7 to $ 15 over-the-counter, and availability may be limited in some regions.
• Over the next two months, 1000 military medical personnel will be deployed to hospitals across the country, five times the current number.
• Launch of new federal testing centers across the country by Christmas, the first of which will be in New York, which is seeing massive omicron growth.
• Expansion of hospitals and distribution of critical supplies.

In recent weeks, criticism of the US testing system has intensified because home test kits are expensive and difficult to find. The US lags behind other countries in testing.

In the UK, home tests are provided free of charge by the government or can be bought very cheaply.

In a December 21 speech, Biden denied lagging behind the rollout of large-scale testing.

“It didn’t take long at all,” he said.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the US nationwide has increased 57% since the beginning of this month.

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When the purchase of 500 million tests was announced, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki expressed regret for her lack of confidence in the idea just two weeks ago.

When a reporter asked on Dec. 6 why the Biden administration had not made home tests free to every citizen, as Britain and Singapore had done, Ms. Psaki responded: “Should we just send one to every American? So what if every American gets one test? How much will it cost and what happens next? "

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