White House unveils aggressive new idea to keep schools open even as COVID surges. Will it work? Now on ABC7
The White House announced Wednesday that the administration is making a dedicated stream of 5 million rapid tests and 5 million lab-based PCR tests available to schools starting this month to ease supply shortages and promote the safe reopening of schools. That's on top of more than $10 billion devoted to school-based tests authorized in the COVID-19 relief law and about $130 billion earmarked in that law to keep kids in school.
"We have been very clear, publicly and privately, that we want to see schools open," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. She cited the massive amount of funding for schools as evidence of the administration ensuring"we were prepared and had resources needed to address whatever may come up in the pandemic."
The White House says states will be able to request the tests immediately and the tests will be available for use by the end of the month.
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