The move is part of a renewed White House effort that includes the Pentagon calling up 1,000 troops to deploy to hard-hit hospitals and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) working to expand medical capacity.
As Covid-19 once again rages across the US, there was no indication that the president would discourage holiday gatherings, impose vaccine mandates for domestic air travel or seek a new round of lockdowns.
Federal health officials said on Monday that Omicron had raced ahead of other variants and was now dominant in the US, accounting for three in four new infections last week. Biden, who three weeks ago unveiled a winter plan to combat the pandemic dogging his political fortunes, has been forced to revise his strategy
In an address from the White House yesterday, he was expected to announce that his administration will buy 500m rapid tests this winter to be distributed to Americans who want them, with delivery starting next month. A website will enable people to order them to be delivered to their home free of charge.
This story is from the December 22, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 22, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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