President Biden said Tuesday he will purchase half a billion rapid coronavirus tests that Americans can order for free delivery to their homes, deploy the military to overwhelmed hospitals and stand up federal testing sites as he scrambles to rein in the omicron variant that’s become dominant and exhausting Americans who wanted a relaxing Christmas.
Mr. Biden said several testing sites would debut in New York City before the holiday but the website offering at-home tests won’t be available until January, as Americans find bare pharmacy shelves ahead of holiday gatherings.
“Bottom line is it’s a lot better than it was,” Mr. Biden said, later dismissing the idea he failed to act fast enough. “We’re taking more steps to make it easy to get tested, get tested for free.”
The president addressed the nation as the omicron variant, first detected in South Africa around Thanksgiving, rips through the states and other nations in the days leading to Christmas.
The new variant accounts for nearly three-quarters of cases, although it does not appear to cause more severe disease than past strains.
“I know you’re frustrated, we all want this to be over, but we’re still in it,” the president said. “This is a critical moment but we also have more tools than we’ve ever had before.”
Mr. Biden acknowledged that many Americans, including the vaccinated, will get infected by the fast-moving variant in the coming weeks but said people who got their shots and boosters as advised should see positive outcomes.
He also doesn’t think vaccinated people should cancel their holiday plans, insisting the country is in a better place than a year ago.
“You should feel comfortable celebrating Christmas and the holidays as you planned. You know, you’re done the right,” Mr. Biden said. “We should all be concerned about omicron but not panicked.”
“This is not March of 2020 — 200 million people are fully vaccinated,” he added.
Yet Mr. Biden spoke in stark terms about nearly 4 in 10 Americans, including over a quarter of U.S. adults, who remain unvaccinated.
“If you’re not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned,” Mr. Biden said. “The unvaccinated have a significantly higher risk of ending up in the hospital or dying.”
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Mr. Biden said unvaccinated persons have an obligation to protect themselves, calling it a patriotic duty as some health care workers report being overtaxed and exhausted. He also complained about the proliferation of bogus information about vaccines online, telling rogue actors to “stop it now.”
The U.S. is averaging over 130,000 reported infections per day. It is the most since September when the delta wave swamped southern states.
Roughly 69,000 Americans are hospitalized with the disease, up 14% from two weeks ago, although below the 102,000 daily average at the peak of the delta wave in September.
It is also far below the 120,000 hospitalizations the U.S. averaged at this time a year ago, giving leaders hope they can buckle down and weather omicron without seeing the devastating woe that slammed the country saw last January.
The Republican National Committee said the latest spike was a sign of failure.
“Biden failed to ’shut down the virus’ like he promised. By lying, shifting blame, and refusing to accept responsibility for his incompetence, Biden has lost all credibility and trust from the American people,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. “Biden’s fear-mongering, misinformation about Operation Warp Speed, and unconstitutional mandates will not shut down the virus; it will only further divide the country — Americans deserve better than Biden’s failed leadership.”
Mr. Biden’s decision to deliver tests to Americans who want them is a notable shift. It arrived two weeks after the White House appeared to dismiss the idea in a media briefing.
“Should we just send one to every American?” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a reporter who asked about tests.
Ms. Psaki on Tuesday said her comments at the time might not have had proper context. She said the new proposal ensures the tests will go to Americans who want them so they are not wasted.
Mr. Biden rejected complaints he failed to act proactively to ramp up testing, citing the unexpectedly rapid spread of omicron and his recent use of the Defense Production Act to spur production.
Some experts said the plan is a positive step but they are not sure if it will produce a tangible change in the course of the pandemic.
“It’s a terrific start and invoking DPA is a great move — I do believe I wrote that we needed to invoke DPA over a year ago! Though to temper expectations — there’s 350 million [people] in the U.S and 500 million free tests distributed over a period of months only goes so far,” tweeted Michael Mina, an epidemiologist who has been pushing the government throughout the pandemic pushing to make regular testing available to break up transmission chains.
Mr. Biden also will order military doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel to deploy, as needed, for the COVID-19 response in January and February, and make federal teams available to Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wisconsin immediately.
He said dozens of ambulances are heading to New York and Maine to deal with a surge, as regional hospitals try to juggle bed space for patients.
The administration also is running new vaccine clinics through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help the booster campaign, starting with ones in New Mexico and Washington State before moving to other areas with high demand.
The push for broader vaccination coursed through Mr. Biden’s remarks, including the need for boosters to combat omicron.
“People with booster shots are highly protected. Join us,” he said.
As it stands, about 62% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, including more than 7 in 10 adults.
Only 30% of vaccinated people have received a booster shot as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though some vaccinated people are not enough months along from their initial series to be eligible.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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