President Joe Biden at his State of the Union address March 1 announced a “Test to Treat” initiative that would allow anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 at a pharmacy to receive antiviral pills on the spot. He also announced more free rapid tests can be ordered at covidtests.gov starting next week.
“I know some are talking about ‘living with COVID-19’,” Biden said. “Tonight, I say that we will never just accept living with COVID-19. We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this is a virus that mutates and spreads, we will stay on guard.”
His remarks come at the tail end of a sweeping wave of the omicron variant, with scientists warning of more to come. Biden said handling those variants will include building more flexible public health infrastructure.
“If necessary, we’ll be able to deploy new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years,” he said. “And, if Congress provides the funds we need, we’ll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, and pills ready if needed.”
Biden listed off “common sense” steps forward to address the pandemic. While touting vaccine equity, he also pointed to domestic strains on the economy and families with children. Biden said he hopes schools and businesses stay open.
“And with 75 percent of adult Americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77 percent, most Americans can remove their masks, return to work, stay in the classroom, and move forward safely," he said.
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