The White House announced its plan to help protect Americans from COVID-19 transmission during the winter season, with an emphasis on widespread availability of vaccines and at-home testing.
The Biden Administration’s COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan, announced Thursday, includes making at-home COVID tests available once again via the COVIDTests.gov website or by calling 1 (800) 232-0233.
All households in the country are eligible for four at-home tests, which they will receive for free in the mail. COVID tests are expected to start shipping this week.
The federal government will also distribute test kits to food banks and more than 6,500 senior households that receive rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it once was, the virus continues to evolve, and cases are on the rise again as families are spending more time indoors and gathering for the holidays,” the White House said in a statement.
The White House said it plans to work with state and local governments and medical providers to set up mobile and pop-up vaccination clinics, particularly in an effort to encourage uptake of the updated COVID booster vaccine.
The bivalent boosters target both the initial COVID-19 strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the highly contagious omicron variant. Since their approval by federal regulators, they are now used for all booster vaccinations in any age group.
As of Monday, just 14.1 percent of all Americans aged 5 and up have received the updated booster.
The federal government is also planning to disperse clinical personnel where COVID cases and hospitalizations increase the most in an effort to reduce the strain on local hospitals and other health care providers and to work with nursing homes and other congregate care facilities to protect those who are at high risk of serious illness.
“With updated COVID-19 vaccines, at-home tests, and effective oral antiviral treatments widely available, the administration encourages every individual American to have a plan for how to prevent and respond to COVID-19 this winter,” the White House said.
Where is the story of the FBI giving Twitter 3.5 million dollars to keep cooperating with their hiding information on Biden and Hunter and the false accusations against Trump?
This is what I find amusing. Someone hits a thumb down but has either no idea what is going on or they approve of the FBI paying twitter to do their dirty work. Which is it thumbs down?
Seriously? Let’s waste more money we don’t have.
Don’t you live in CA, why would you care? Bet when you got those stimulus checks you didn’t make much of a fuss.
From the Government, for free… Huh?!
And I’m sure they are very accurate tests. 😄
Let it go… Time to move on…Everything is going to be alright.
I find it very “interesting” that we tax paying citizens can receive “FREE” tests. We are paying for these test kits with our tax dollars so they are not truly FREE are they!
Question, will these new FREE test kits continue to be made in China as we’re the past FREE kits? Ironic that the very disease we are testing for had its origins in China!
And are you not happy your tax dollars being used for you and your community, that’s why you pay taxes to get back from your government.