US - Media: To fight Omicron, Biden to add travel rules, make at-home COVID-19 tests free - official announcement at 1:40 pm today - November 2, 2021

[Mary Wilson]

December 2, 202110:06 AM CST
Last Updated 2 hours ago
By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will lay out his strategy to fight the Omicron and Delta COVID-19 variants over the winter on Thursday, including free and insurer-funded at-home testing and new requirements for international travelers.

The U.S. government will require private health insurance companies to reimburse their 150 million customers for 100% of the cost of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests, administration officials said, and make millions more tests available free through rural clinics and health centers for the uninsured.

... The United States also plans to require inbound international passengers to be tested for COVID-19 within one day of departure, regardless of vaccination status. Mask requirements on airplanes, trains and public transportation vehicles will be extended to March 18.

... The rule will not apply retroactively and does not cover people on public health insurance plans, the official said. The administration plans to distribute 50 million tests to rural clinics and testing sites to help cover those who do not have private insurance and those who do not have insurance at all.

... Biden plans to visit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday to announce the strategy at 1:40 p.m. ET (1840 GMT.)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us...nies-cover-at-home-covid-19-tests-2021-12-02/

 

[longshots]

"Biden to add travel rules, make at-home COVID-19 tests free"

why not call the tests "awesomely free" since the meaning of both of those words has been diluted and misrepresented for so long... as a buddy of mine opined at a meeting the other day, "'awesome' is the new 'average'". I nearly fell out of my seat laughing. And as far as "free" goes... the sunshine is free, but those tests and vaccinations are being paid for! You may not be pulling out your money right there on the spot, but it is being paid for by you, your friends, your children and all of us at some point...

 

[sharon sanders]

Notes from announcement:

Wants nation to come together on this pandemic, "Patriotic",
US has two imported Omicron cases,
Will fight variant with science and speed,
We need to be ready for this Winter,
Booster vaccine available to all eligible adults,
100 million adults are yet to get booster, free at 80k locations, "go get your booster shot now", CDC is going to remind people via text,
64 million medicare recipients will also be reminded,
Federal employees to get paid time off to get boosters,
Working with vaccine pharma companies to develop contingency plans,
Wants children ages 5 and up to get vaccines,
Establishing family vaccination sites,
Health insurers must cover the cost of at home COVID-19 tests, free tests for everyone else,
Establish surge response teams, for a total of 60, at over-loaded hospitals,
Monoclonal antibody treatments to be made more available, but not "conspiracy theory" drugs,
US leads the world in free vaccine distribution and will increase shipments,
All in-bound of international travelers must test negative within 24 hours before departure to US,
Masks mandatory on air, bus, train, etc. travel,
Emphasis on UNITED States of America,
Thanks health care workers.

No questions taken.

The End

 

[sharon sanders]

bump this