Biden to offer 500M at-home COVID-19 tests as virus surges

By JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to increase support for hospitals, improve access to COVID-19 tests and expand the availability of vaccines that can reduce the risks from the omicron variant. The government will purchase 500 million rapid at-home tests to be delivered for free to Americans who request them. Biden will stress in a Tuesday speech the importance of getting vaccinated to protect from a wave of infections tied to omicron as Christmas approaches. The world is confronting the prospect of a second straight holiday season with COVID-19. Biden’s top medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says the president will issue “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans.