Washington – COVID-19 White House response team members and federal public health officials held a press briefing Monday on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, while President Joe Biden and a group of Republicans in the Senate are set to meet to discuss an emergency COVID-19 relief package.
Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 response team, announced that first COVID-19 test at home comes online, able to test within 15 minutes at 90% accuracy. The test, from a company called Ellume, is expected to cost about $ 30.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, stressed the importance of vaccination with the arrival of a person. Not only will vaccination slow down the spread of the virus and protect people, but it will prevent additional COVID-19 variants.
“When the vaccine is available, please get vaccinated,” Fauci urged.
Fauci has tried to instill confidence in the effectiveness of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which has an effectiveness rate of about 70% – lower than the Pfizer and Moderna efficacy rates, but still an incredibly useful tool in combating COVID-19. The vaccine will reduce hospitalizations and the rate of serious illness and, because it is a single dose, could be more useful for some populations, Fauci noted.
Slavitt said the Biden administration is worried that some health care providers are holding doses for the second blow when they shouldn’t be. This should not happen and should not happen, Slavitt said, assuring Americans that there will be enough for the second dose.
January was the deadliest month of the pandemic, with COVID-19 dead at more than 441,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The Biden administration estimates that another 90,000 Americans will die in the next four weeks.
While Mr. Biden has taken steps to increase the distribution of vaccine doses to states, he continues to urge Americans to wear masks and follow social guidelines to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. New strains of coronavirus detected in three countries, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil, have been reported in the United States, and Fauci warned last week that cases of new variants could exceed the number of previous strain cases.
Mr Biden has launched a $ 1.9 trillion economic rescue plan to combat economic failures due to the pandemic and increase vaccine testing and distribution. However, the cost of the president’s plan has been met with skepticism from Republicans in the Senate, and a group of 10 GOP senators are due to meet with Mr Biden on Monday night to discuss his own proposal.
The Republican plan totals $ 600 billion, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana told Fox News in an interview Sunday and includes direct payments to Americans. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in Congress are preparing to take the first step this week in a legislative process that would allow Mr Biden’s coronavirus aid package to pass without Republican support.