White House Steps Up Fight Against Possible Winter COVID-19 Surge

December 15, 2022 by Dan McCue
White House Steps Up Fight Against Possible Winter COVID-19 Surge
President Joe Biden (Photo by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON — Three months after stopping the practice, the Biden administration is once again making free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households.

The goal, administration officials said, is to stop a potential surge in COVID-19 cases heading into winter.

Starting Thursday, households will be able to request four rapid virus tests through covidtests.gov. 

The renewed effort to combat the coronavirus comes after an uptick of cases after the recent Thanksgiving holiday.

A further increase in cases is expected following Christmas and New Year’s, holidays that are marked by travel and indoor entertaining.

The administration also announced Thursday that it is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes.

The White House is also doubling down on its efforts to encourage people to get the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, which are more effective at protecting against serious illness than the vaccines administered months ago. 

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue

A+
a-
TWN
  • COVID tests
  • COVID-19
  • Joe Biden
  • White House
    • linkedin linkedin

    In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    November 30, 2023
    by Anthony Fauci to Testify Before Congress on COVID Origins and US Pandemic Response
    Anthony Fauci to Testify Before Congress on COVID Origins and US Pandemic Response

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year as part of Republicans' yearslong investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease. Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious... Read More

    November 29, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Congress Confronted With Pros and Cons of Health Care AI

    WASHINGTON — A congressional committee took a cautious step Wednesday into the prospects for artificial intelligence to improve health care.... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A congressional committee took a cautious step Wednesday into the prospects for artificial intelligence to improve health care. The benefits could be great but so could the risks to privacy, according to medical personnel who testified before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. “It... Read More

    November 29, 2023
    by Jesse Zucker
    Guide to Preparing Healthy Meals for the Work Week

    WASHINGTON — When you’re always on the go it’s hard to find the time to prepare healthy meals. There’s nothing... Read More

    WASHINGTON — When you’re always on the go it’s hard to find the time to prepare healthy meals. There’s nothing wrong with grabbing some meals out, but the financial and health costs can add up. Eating homemade, healthy, balanced meals fuels your body and brain and... Read More

    November 28, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Senate Considers Public Health Strategy to Control Rising Gun Violence

    WASHINGTON — Perplexing problems of gun violence returned to a Senate hearing Tuesday, this time with a proposal for treating... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Perplexing problems of gun violence returned to a Senate hearing Tuesday, this time with a proposal for treating it as a public health crisis rather than purely a law enforcement issue. A near record surge in violence has resulted in more than 38,000 Americans... Read More

    November 28, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Maryland Expands Access to Contraceptive Care

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The state of Maryland has entered into a four-year partnership with a Boston, Massachusetts-based nonprofit to eliminate... Read More

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The state of Maryland has entered into a four-year partnership with a Boston, Massachusetts-based nonprofit to eliminate barriers to contraceptive care. In an announcement on Tuesday, Gov. Wes Moore said the cooperative agreements between the Maryland Department of Health and Upstream USA will... Read More

    November 28, 2023
    by Mayo Clinic Announces $5B Expansion of Minnesota Campus
    Mayo Clinic Announces $5B Expansion of Minnesota Campus

    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Mayo Clinic announced a $5 billion expansion plan for its flagship campus Tuesday that includes new... Read More

    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Mayo Clinic announced a $5 billion expansion plan for its flagship campus Tuesday that includes new buildings designed so they can evolve and expand as patient needs change over the coming decades. The project is part of a Mayo strategy to transform... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top