Biden administration to stop free at-home COVID-19 tests: NBC
NEW YORK, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government will end its giveaway of COVID-19 at-home tests on Friday because of insufficient congressional funding, NBC News on Sunday cited a senior Biden administration official.
A stockpile of the tests is being depleted, and officials want to have enough on hand in the event of a fall surge, the network quoted the source as saying.
The giveaway, which includes tests mailed at no cost to recipients who request them at covidtests.gov, will end on Friday, according to an announcement on the site, unless there's a surprise round of funding from Congress.
"If Congress provides funding, we will expeditiously resume distribution of free tests through covidtests.gov," the source told NBC News. "Until then, we believe reserving the remaining tests for distribution later this year is the best course."
"The administration has been clear about our urgent COVID-19 response funding needs," the source continued. "We have warned that congressional inaction would force unacceptable tradeoffs and harm our overall COVID-19 preparedness and response -- and that the consequences would likely worsen over time."
Photos
Related Stories
- Tokyo stocks plunge on fears Fed's rate hikes to hurt U.S. economy
- US' old warships sailing through Taiwan Straits can't deter PLA at all, only confirms US' hostility toward China's reunification
- Commentary: No rules for USA
- U.S. global military presence poses grave security threat to the world
- China no longer requires COVID test info for international arrivals, as it further eases restrictions
- U.S. helicopter targets pro-Iran militia in Syria: monitor
- U.S. GDP in Q2 revised up to 0.6 pct contraction
- U.S. hate crimes rise in 1st half of 2022: data
- Life expectancy falling in U.S.: report
- Less than 20 pct of Gen Z Asian Americans feel accepted in U.S.: The Guardian
Copyright © 2022 People's Daily Online. All Rights Reserved.
