To counter Omicron and an expected winter surge in coronavirus cases, the Biden Administration announced new plans to expand testing and hospital capacity.
The announcement came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of a likely surge in Omicron cases, peaking as early as January, according to The Washington Post. As of December 15, 37 states and jurisdictions had at least one case involving the variant, the CDC said in a presentation last week.
As far as testing, the administration plans to purchase half a billion at-home rapid tests this winter, which it will distribute using a website, where Americans can order tests to be delivered to their homes for free. Administration officials also said they will provide more details about distribution of the at-home tests in the future.
The initial delivery of these tests from the manufacturer is scheduled to occur in January.
The administration also plans to increase support for hospitals. The Department of Defense plans to mobilize 1,000 members of our military — such as doctors, nurses, medics, and other military medical personnel — to deploy overburdened hospitals in January and February.
To expand hospital capacity, FEMA will activate the National Response Coordination Center and deploy FEMA planners to assess hospital needs and start to expand that capacity now. In addition, the administration will pre-position supplies and materials, such as masks, gloves and ventilators.
