President Joe Biden said his administration will double its order of rapid COVID tests to send to Americans, while also distributing “high quality” masks to help fight a surge of cases of the omicron variant.
The plan to buy another 500 million at-home tests comes as the U.S. is facing a shortage, leading to long lines at testing centers across the country. At the same time, consumer prices for masks offering the highest protection are rising.
Health researchers have recommended the use of masks labeled N95 and KN95, saying they do a better job preventing the spread of the virus than cloth face coverings. As omicron surged, people have flocked to buy them,
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“We all wish that we could finally be done with wearing masks,” Biden said. “I get it. But they’re really important to stop the spread especially in a highly transmissible omicron variant.”
Biden in December announced his administration plans to send the 500 million tests already being ordered at no charge to Americans who request them. The initial order is set to begin shipping this month, but the administration has not said how long it will take for it to receive all those tests and make them available.
Tom Inglesby, Biden’s testing coordinator, said this week that the government will use its purchasing power to keep test production high, even as demand recedes, as a way to prevent future shortfalls.
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The administration is tapping existing supplies of test kits stored in warehouses for the first 500 million tests he promised last month. The suppliers have a stockpile of unused COVID-19 tests, Dawn O’Connell, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response, told a Senate panel Tuesday.
The White House will release details on how to order them by the end of this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday, adding that Biden’s team will finish signing deals to buy the tests within two weeks.
Biden also promised earlier this week that he would supply 5 million free rapid tests per month to schools, separately from the millions he’ll provide to the general public.
