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President Biden speaks to a crowd in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday. Photo: Megan Varner/Getty Images
The Biden administration announced Wednesday it's increasing the number of COVID-19 tests available to schools by 10 million per month — as the Omicron variant drives a surge in cases and causes widespread disruption to education.
Why it matters: While it appears Omicron causes less severe illness than other variants, it's still placing a strain on health care systems and causing a drop in teacher and student attendance.
The big picture: The administration "will distribute 5 million free, rapid tests to schools each month to help K-12 schools stay open and to implement and sustain screening testing and test to stay programs," according to a White House fact sheet.
The administration is also connecting schools with COVID-19 testing providers to set up school testing programs using funds from the American Rescue Plan — the coronavirus stimulus package enacted last March.
By the numbers: Despite the burdens caused by the pandemic, 96% of schools have remained open for in-person classes so far this month, compared to 46% in January last year, per the White House.
Go deeper: Schools grapple with COVID testing
COVID-19 rapid at-home test kits rest on a table at a free distribution event for those who received vaccination shots or booster shots on Jan. 7 in Los Angeles. Photo: Mario Tama via Getty Images
Health insurers will be required to cover costs for over-the-counter, at-home COVID tests starting this Saturday, the Health and Human Services Department announced Monday.
Why it matters: Under President Biden's strategy to expand access to free COVID testing, insurers will either cover costs upfront or reimburse people after they submit claims.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
There appears to be yet another layer to America's coronavirus testing chaos: People may not test positive on rapid nasal tests until after they're infectious, which would make the tests an unreliable measure of whether it's safe to gather.
The big picture: Rapid tests have been hailed as a way to weather the Omicron surge without mass disruption to everyday life. But they've been in short supply for weeks, and now new research — along with loads of anecdotal evidence — suggests there may be significant limitations to their usefulness with this variant.
An Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 antigen self test. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
BinaxNOW at-home COVID-19 tests at Walmart and Kroger will see a rise in prices after a deal with the White House expired in mid-December.
Driving the news: BinaxNOW, one of the first at-home tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration, has become increasingly popular over the last month due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
