Biden to announce support for hospitals, access to free COVID tests, vaccine availability amid omicron surge ((But the top Dems get Covid and not Omicron?))
Biden is expected to announce three steps he'll take to counter the omicron variant's spread
Across the country, schools are beginning to shift to remote learning, restaurants are
closing their doors to the public, and events are once again being
canceled as a result of the new
omicron variant of the coronavirus. Broadway shows in New York City have been
canceled, along with the Rockettes' "Christmas Spectacular" shows. The National Hockey League also
announced a pause to its season.
Amid the
surge in new cases, senior administration officials said the president on Tuesday will announce
three steps to build on his
previously announced winter plan ((of certain death for me and my family)).
As part of this effort, the president is set to
direct Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to mobilize
1,000 members of the military to
deploy to overburdened hospitals in January and February in an effort to increase hospital capacity, and to provide critical supplies and materials needed to get more hospital beds online.
The
president is also expected to ask ((command)) the Federal Emergency Management Agency to activate the National Response Coordination Center and to
deploy FEMA planners to assess hospital needs.
Officials said the Biden administration will purchase half a billion rapid tests to be distributed to Americans—free of charge—and will set up a website where Americans can get an at-home COVID-19 test delivered for free. Officials said that system will be set up in January.
Officials said that testing in the United States is "a lot better than it was," but admitted that "there’s more to do."
"We’re taking action now," one official said.
"Listen to the advice from doctors: even if you’re fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask when indoors in a public setting," Biden tweeted. "It will help protect you and others—especially kids under 5 who can’t get vaccinated yet."
The president went on to thank frontline workers ((Except the one's who got fired already for not obeying orders)) for their work "after a painful and difficult two years," saying the nation owes them "a tremendous debt." ((You're Fired!!))
"I am once again asking for your strength, and I’ll never forget it," he tweeted, urging Americans to "get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask."
He added: "And keep the faith."