Description
President Joe Biden will announce Tuesday a purchase of a half-billion at-home rapid Covid-19 tests and a plan to distribute them free to Americans who request them through a website, one of a series of new steps he’ll unveil as the country faces a potentially crippling wintertime surge of infections.
Summary
- The 500 million new tests will be made available next month and will reach Americans through the mail, the official said.
- An official said, “God willing” the full 1,000 wouldn’t be needed, “but if we do, they are ready and they’re mobilized.”
- Distributing free at-home tests to all Americans was written off by the White House as recently as this month.
- Press secretary Jen Psaki scoffed earlier this month when asked if tests should be free and given out, available everywhere.
- While the White House plan announced Tuesday does not ship test to every American, people would request the tests online instead.