Washington: US President Joe Biden said he received another Covid-19 test on Wednesday, five days after exposure to the virus from a member of his staff, but has not received the results yet.
Biden tested negative for the virus three days after he was exposed. The president made the comments to reporters after public remarks during a meeting on the status of the U.S. supply chain.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has announced 500 million free at-home test kits, even as he urged people to get vaccinated as well as take a booster shot.
The at-home tests will be available for purchase online as well as at the local pharmacy from January, which will be reimbursed.
Because Omicron spreads easily, especially among the unvaccinated, it’s critically important that we know who’s infected. That means we need more testing, Biden said at the White House on Tuesday during a speech outlining the new coronavirus-response measures.
The federal government will purchase one half billion… additional at-home rapid tests, with deliveries starting in January. We’ll be getting these tests to Americans for free. And we’ll have websites where you can get them delivered to your home, Biden said.
The free testing will help reduce the waiting lines, as well as reduce the burden of healthcare systems.
The President also noted about over 20,000 free testing sites in the country. In addition, 1,000 military doctors, nurses, and medics will be deployed to help staff local hospitals and expand capacity, Biden said.
Omicron, first detected from southern Africa in late November, has so far spread to 106 countries, and has become the dominant strain in both the US and the UK, among other countries, outpacing the previously dominant Delta variant. The US has reported one death due to Omicron to date, while the UK has 12.
People who remain unvaccinated are the reason behind its fast spread, Biden said. Besides being at serious risk of getting infected and dying, they are also likely to overwhelm an already burdened healthcare system, the President said.