Key TakeawaysCOVID-19 relief proposals from President-Elect Biden include expanded delivery and administration of vaccines, investment in testing and treatment, and more critical supplies.Biden will share more specifics on his plan for expanded access to COVID-19 vaccines in a subsequent briefing.
Key Takeaways
COVID-19 relief proposals from President-Elect Biden include expanded delivery and administration of vaccines, investment in testing and treatment, and more critical supplies.Biden will share more specifics on his plan for expanded access to COVID-19 vaccines in a subsequent briefing.
Calling the current COVID-19 vaccination rollout a “dismal failure,” President-elect Joe Biden outlined his plans toward getting the virus under control in remarks on Thursday, January 14. His proposal calls on Congress to fund $400 billion on COVID-related projects.
Under what he is calling the American Rescue Plan, Biden’s federal COVID-19 efforts will include:
Vaccines
“Americans are waiting to get their vaccines even while doses are sitting on shelves,” Biden said, proposing $20 billion be devoted to a national vaccination program.
The program will involve developing community vaccination centers around the country and deploying mobile vaccination units. Vaccinations will be available regardless of immigration status and provided without shared costs.
“We will move Heaven and Earth to get more people vaccinated, to create more places for them to get vaccinated, to mobilize more medical teams to get shots in peoples’ arms, and to increase vaccine supply and get it out the door as fast as possible,” Biden said.
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Testing
The President-elect’s plan allocates $50 billion to help schools and local governments implement testing protocols, which will rely on more rapid tests.
“Expanded testing will ensure that schools can implement regular testing to support safe reopening, that vulnerable settings like prisons and long-term care facilities can regularly test their populations, and that any American can get a test for free when they need one,” Biden said.
The proposal also includes funding for 100,000 new public health workers to do vaccine outreach and contact tracing.
Treatment
The proposal expands investment in development, manufacturing, and purchase of therapies to ensure wide availability and affordability of effective COVID-19 treatments. It would also fund studies of the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 and potential treatments for long-haulers.
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Research on New Viral Strains
Funding will also be used to identify and address emerging strains of COVID-19. “We simply do not have the kind of robust surveillance capabilities that we need to track outbreaks and mutations,” Biden said. “Tracking the way the virus is changing and moving through the population is essential to understanding outbreaks, generating treatments and vaccines, and controlling the pandemic.”
Biden plans to increase genetic sequencing, surveillance, and outbreak analytics capacity.
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PPE
Biden’s proposal adds $30 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund to ensure sufficient supplies and protective gear. It outlines a plan to provide federal reimbursement for emergency response resources to states, local governments, and Tribes, as well as $10 billion to expand U.S. manufacturing for pandemic supplies.
School Safety
What Happens Next?The proposals require Congressional approval. Congress reconvenes on January 19 and is expected to deliberate on the legislation shortly after.
What Happens Next?
The proposals require Congressional approval. Congress reconvenes on January 19 and is expected to deliberate on the legislation shortly after.
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.C-Span.President-elect Biden on $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Proposal. January 14, 2021.
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.C-Span.President-elect Biden on $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Proposal. January 14, 2021.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
C-Span.President-elect Biden on $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Proposal. January 14, 2021.
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