Politics

Biden Skirts Around Congress, Announces Free COVID-19 Tests For Every Household

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Diana Glebova White House Correspondent
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The Biden administration announced free COVID-19 tests on Thursday, funding a limited new round of test orders before the holidays.

Every household can order up to four at-home COVID-19 tests starting on Thursday at COVIDTests.gov.

The administration paused the free test program in September amid concerns that there wouldn’t be enough supply for the winter. The administration is funding the tests with its existing budget, after Congress voted against providing more funding to the COVID-19 response.

“The Administration is announcing that COVIDTests.gov is open for a limited round of ordering this winter. Starting today, all U.S. households can order a total of four at-home COVID-19 tests that will be mailed directly to them for free,” the White House announced.

“Orders for this round of testing will begin to ship starting the week of December 19th and continue in the weeks ahead,” the statement continued.

The administration is also giving free at-home tests to over 6,500 Department of Housing and Urban Development-assisted rental housing properties serving seniors and as many as 500 major food banks.

President Joe Biden had continued to focus on COVID-19, despite proclaiming the pandemic over, by urging Congress to provide more funding, getting another COVID-19 shot, and spending billions of dollars on updated shots.

COVID response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha has repeatedly appeared at White House press briefings, telling Americans to get boosted for the winter amid low booster numbers. (RELATED: Biden Publicizes His Fifth Covid Shot, As Many Americans Move On From The Pandemic)

The president said Wednesday there will “surely” be another pandemic after noting that the U.S. had delivered 231 million doses of vaccines to Africa.