The plan includes free tests and even antiviral covid pills.
The White House is hoping to put the Covid-19 pandemic in the rearview window, via a sweeping new road map that envisions life going back to normal after two years of the crisis.
The National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is centered around four main areas: protect against and treat the virus, prepare for new variants, prevent shutdowns, and vaccinate the world.
Those are lofty goals, ones that President Biden previewed during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. “Thanks to the progress we have made in the past year, COVID-19 no longer need control our lives,” Biden said.
But the strategy comes as new variants, such as BA.2 or “stealth Omicron,” still remain a pressing concern. Here’s the latest on how Biden hopes to ramp preparedness against future strains, and what the plan means for everyday Americans.
What does the plan entail?
The plan will make more free rapid tests available online starting next week, and aims to set up hundreds of “test and treat” centers around the country that’ll hand out free antiviral pills to those who test positive.
As far as preventing future variants, the White House promises to mass produce 1 billion vaccine doses each year, so that a new formula can be delivered within 100 days should another highly contagious variant take hold.
The White House also hasn’t forgotten about its commitment to combating vaccine inequities worldwide — it vowed to continue to make them available to other countries.
Is this part of a broader strategy?
The Biden administration is hoping the plan will move the country away from crisis mode and return it to a sense of normalcy following intense debates over school reopenings and mask mandates. (Incidentally, at a Wednesday press conference held at the University of South Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis chastised students wearing masks, calling the practice “ridiculous.”) The rationale behind Biden’s plan is that the country has entered a less-dangerous phase of the pandemic, where most of those who become infected will not end up in the hospital due widespread vaccines, booster shots, and treatments.
“We look to a future when Americans no longer fear lockdowns, shutdowns, and our kids not going to school,” the plan reads. “It’s a future when the country relies on the powerful layers of protection we have built and invests in the next generation of tools to stay ahead of this virus.”
What’s the plan re: masks?
Even though the Centers for Disease Control just pulled back on its indoor mask mandates, the White House plan includes continuing to provide free masks at local pharmacies, grocery stores and community health centers across the country.
The mask mandate remains the subject of heavy debate. With the current rule set to expire on March 18, the White House is currently considering whether to lift the mask requirement on airplanes, trains, and public transportation.
Does the plan need support from Congress?
The White House says the ambitious, 96-page plan will require another round of funding from Congress. Though there isn’t a specific price tag, federal agencies estimate that the effort will cost more than $30 billion.
“Without these investments, many of the activities described below cannot be initiated or sustained,” the White House stated.
What’s the reaction from experts?
Infectious disease Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo praised the plan, calling the new test-and-treat program a “game-changer.”
“If we could really roll it out, make it accessible and affordable, and use it intelligently, you could really interrupt the course of disease, especially in those who are immunocompromised and other vulnerable populations,” Marrazzo told the Washington Post.
Still, others remain concerned that the country is trying to get past the pandemic too quickly, potentially risking yet another surge. “My concern is, this is not the end,” said Abraar Karan, an infectious-disease physician at Stanford University. “CDC is saying because incidence is getting lower, this is the time to pull back on ‘restrictions.’ But we’ve done this so many times and we continue to have big resurgences.”
