The US government is in the process of finalizing contracts to purchase 500 million rapids that will be distributed free of charge to Americans seeking examination, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said tonight.
Within a month, the website will be ready through which citizens can request that the free test be sent to them.
President Joe Biden announced the initiative in December, as cases of the Omicron variant increased and many Americans found it difficult to find rapid tests to test.
Earlier, Biden announced that the government would double its order for the Pfizer antiviral drug to 20 million out of 10 so far. “These pills dramatically reduce hospitalization and death,” he said before the pandemic meeting.
“We have already placed the largest order in the world and from now on I will double it,” he added.
This pill is taken orally and can be used at home as soon as the first symptoms appear.
Biden reiterated that this wave is the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” “Omicron should worry you, but not scare you,” he said. But “if you are not vaccinated; people will die, they will die for no reason,” he added.
Pfizer treatment for Covid-19, under the brand name Paxlovid, consists of a combination of two pills taken twice a day for five days. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its administration since December 22 for all high-risk patients over 12 years of age. The US authorities have also approved the Merck drug intended for high-risk adults.
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