More Masks, COVID Tests, and Troops to Battle Omicron

Jan. 13, 2022 — President Joe Biden introduced Thursday the U.S. authorities will make free, upgraded face masks accessible for ordering on-line beginning subsequent week.

In addition, he’s ordering 500 million extra fast COVID-19 checks to fulfill future demand and deploying extra army groups to assist overwhelmed hospitals in hardest-hit states.

These actions are a part of a “whole-of-government” response to the surge in COVID-19 instances and hospitalizations related to the Omicron variant.

Upgraded Masks

Biden’s plan goals to make getting upgraded masks simpler for Americans.

“I’ve taken each motion I can as president to require folks to put on masks in federal buildings and on airplanes and trains,” the president stated. However, “I do know that for some Americans, a masks is just not all the time inexpensive or handy to get.”

With that in thoughts, subsequent week, the White House will announce how folks can order high-quality masks, together with N95s, on-line, without spending a dime, on a brand new web site.

Biden estimated that about one-third of Americans say they by no means put on a masks, a statistic he is hoping to vary.

The president additionally acknowledged the pandemic fatigue many individuals have.

“We all want that we might lastly be performed with sporting masks, I get it,” he stated. “But they’re a very necessary instrument to cease the unfold, particularly [of] the extremely transmittable Omicron variant.”

One Billion Tests

In the 10-minute deal with, Biden additionally introduced plans to order 500 million extra at-home fast COVID-19 checks to fulfill demand. The order comes on prime of the five hundred million checks the federal government already ordered.

Doing the mathematics, the president famous the present and future provide means there shall be a billion checks “being acquired to ship to your properties without spending a dime.”

Biden additionally identified that fast at-home checks weren’t accessible when he took workplace. In distinction, “we’ll have over 375 million at-home fast checks in January alone. That’s an enormous leap,” he stated.

In the meantime, his administration will work with on-line retailers to make extra checks accessible. Also, for any American who desires a check instantly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is including extra free, in-person testing websites nationwide.

More Military Backup

“I’m saying our subsequent deployment of six extra federal medical groups,” Biden stated. These reinforcements embody greater than 120 army medical personnel being despatched to hard-hit states, together with Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

These army personnel will be part of different groups already in motion.

Since Thanksgiving, over 800 army and different federal emergency personnel have been deployed to 24 states, tribes, and territories, Biden famous. The numbers included greater than 350 army medical doctors, nurses, and medics to assist overwhelmed hospital employees. In addition, greater than 14,000 National Guard members are already deployed to assist well being care staff are in 49 states.

Vaccination Remains Top Priority

Getting extra Americans vaccinated and boosted stays a precedence, significantly in the course of the Omicron surge.

“Right now, each vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are testing optimistic. But what occurs after that would not be extra totally different,” Biden stated. “If vaccinated folks check optimistic, they’re overwhelmingly have both no signs in any respect or they’ve gentle signs.”

In distinction, when an unvaccinated particular person checks optimistic, they’re greater than 17 instances extra more likely to get hospitalized, he stated.

“As lengthy as we’ve got tens of tens of millions of people that is not going to get vaccinated, we will have full hospitals and useless deaths. They’re crowding the hospitals, leaving little room for anybody else who may need a coronary heart assault, automobile accident, or any harm in any respect,” Biden stated.

One brilliant spot to this point with the Omicron surge is, regardless of the soar in case and hospitalization numbers, he stated, “deaths are down dramatically from final winter.”

Uniting Against a Common Enemy

Biden stated America will “get by this when everyone does their half, regardless of the place you reside, regardless of your political celebration.”

Further acknowledging the political divide influencing COVID-19 response and numbers, he stated: “We’ve bought a battle this collectively. We’ve set to work collectively. Not in opposition to one another.”