WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (BUS) – With the omicron variant starting the march, President Joe Biden plans to announce 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increase support for stressed hospitals, double down on vaccination, and step up efforts.
In a speech scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Biden detailed key changes in his COViD-19 winter, forced by his hand on the arrival of the rapidly spreading variant, the characteristics of which scientists have not yet fully understood.
The world faces the prospect of a second holiday season in a row with COVID-19 as families and friends begin to gather. Scientists do not yet know if omicron causes more serious disease, but they do know that vaccination should provide strong protection against severe disease and death. The White House provided details of the proposals that Biden will announce in his speech.
A cornerstone of the plan is Biden’s decision for the government to purchase 500 million rapid coronavirus tests and ship them free to Americans starting in January. The White House said the test results would be sent to them in the US mail at no charge.
This represented a major turnaround for Biden, who earlier called on many Americans to buy the hard-to-find tests themselves and then seek reimbursement from their health insurance.
For the first time, the US government will be sending free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans. For those already vaccinated, a booster dose has been shown in laboratory tests to provide strong protection against omicron.
Despite frequent reports of breakouts, data shows that vaccinated people who become infected are less likely to develop serious illness leading to hospitalization or death. To the unvaccinated, Biden plans to issue a stern warning that they are risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
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