This week, the Biden administration will SUSPEND distributing free at-home COVID tests due to dwindling demand and a scarcity, and it will urge Congress for more funds in anticipation of another fall spike.
On Friday, September 2, the administration of President Joe Biden will stop mailing out free covid tests.
The lack of extra financing from Congress was noted by officials.
Tests are being stored in case they are needed this fall, when a surge of covid cases is anticipated. The White House is requesting additional funds from Congress.
Friday, the administration of President Joe Biden will cease handing out free covid tests, claiming a lack of extra cash from Congress.
The webpage for ordering covid tests states, “Ordering through this program will be discontinued on Friday, September 2 since Congress has not allocated sufficient funding to replenish the nation’s inventory of tests.”
A top administration source informed DailyMail.com that tests are being stored in the event that covid cases spike this fall.
The official stated that the government was forced to “make impossible decisions” in order to “preserve our limited remaining supply” in order to “guarantee we have a limited amount of tests accessible in the fall, when we may face a new surge in infections and greater need.”
On Friday, September 2, the administration of President Joe Biden will cease handing out free covid tests, citing a lack of extra funding from Congress.
The person reiterated the administration’s request for additional financing from Congress and lambasted lawmakers for failing to give the funds.
“The Administration has been explicit abou
t our urgent financing need for the COVID-19 response.” We have cautioned that inactivity by Congress would necessitate inadmissible sacrifices and impair our overall COVID-19 preparedness and response, with the implications likely escalating over time,’ a senior administration official stated.
This fall, Congress could authorize additional cash as part of the yearly budget process.
If Congress grants money, we will restart provision of free tests through COVIDTests.gov as soon as possible. We believe the wisest course of action until then is to save the remaining exams for distribution later this year,’ added the official.
In May, the administration issued a warning that a new wave of 100 million coronavirus infections and a significant number of deaths could occur this fall and winter due to the resiliency of new omicron subvariants.
Instances have increased. This summer, both President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for the virus for the first time.
Earlier this year, efforts to increase funding for pandemics stagnated on Capitol Hill because to disagreements over how much to spend and how to pay for it.
Republicans want extra covid spending to be funded by repurposing funds already approved by Congress. However, Biden and congressional Democrats want additional funding – up to $22.5 billion – to pay for additional vaccines, diagnostic testing, and treatments.
In March, Democratic congressional leaders removed $15.6 billion in covid funding from a spending package after several House Democrats objected to paying for it by repurposing stimulus cash allocated to states under the 2021 American Rescue Plan.
In January, the Biden administration began handing out free covid testing.
Although immunizations are intended to be free, the federal government ran out of funds this spring to reimburse uninsured individuals for doses.
Free covid tests are still available, including those covered by commercial health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Over 92 percent of Americans are enrolled in one of these programs.
In January, the government began mailing out free exams.
Through its covid exam website, the federal government has disseminated an estimated 600 million tests.