Biden prepares for Omicron wave, ‘do-it-yourself’ tests and hospital support

Strengthen tampon centers across the country, distribute half a billion do-it-yourself test kits to Americans’ homes and above all unlock new federal resources for exhausted hospitals. These are the cornerstones of the defensive strategy with which the White House intends to try to curb the new, sudden and dramatic wave of Covid, determined by the Omicron variant which, according to CDC data, has become dominant with 73% of cases in the last week. .- The strategy will be announced by Joe Biden in a speech with which the president will not focus “on closing the country”, spokeswoman Jen Psaki stressed, explaining that Biden will instead be “direct and clear with the American people. on the benefits of the vaccine, on the steps it intends to take to strengthen the tests and on the risks to which the unvaccinated are exposed “. Distribution of the half billion rapid test kits will begin next month and a site will be set up where Americans can order them. As for the opening of federal centers for molecular swabs, the first will open this week in New York, the first city that has been heavily hit by the new wave of Omicron, for which outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio has asked for immediate Federal aid. By distributing the tests in homes, Biden hopes to address criticism about the excessive cost of rapid swabs – now a two-test pack for $ 25 – and the difficulty in finding them. As for hospital aid, Biden will announce the dispatch of emergency medical teams to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And the mobilization of one thousand military medical personnel is also expected, while the Fema will work with states and regions for any need for field hospitals. Finally, Biden is expected to renew his appeal to Americans who have not yet wanted to get vaccinated, or who are waiting to do the booster. “If the cases among the vaccinated will probably increase due to Omicron’s greater contagiousness, so far there is evidence that it will be mild symptoms – explain from the White House – in contrast, the unvaccinated have a higher risk of getting infected, of contracting the disease. serious and even to die “.