Americans have until Sept. 2 to go to covidtest.gov and order free government-issued at-home COVID-19 tests. The Biden administration is suspending the test distribution program because they say Congress has not provided enough funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests. During the White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the situation:
“We’ve warned that the congressional inaction would face unacceptable tradeoffs and harm our preparedness and response, and that the consequences would likely worsen over time. So this is an action we’ve been forced to take that will help preserve our limited remaining supply, ensuring we have a limited supply of tests available in the fall. So that’s what we’re trying to be forward-thinking, forward-leaning here when we might face a new rise in infections and more acute need.”
This is the third round of tests that have been made available. The White House has asked Congress for $22.5 billion in funding relief efforts. So far, over 600 million tests have been distributed.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
