The Biden administration has made some rather questionable moves when it comes to the Wuhan coronavirus. The move from Wednesday, over two years after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic, and over a year after President Joe Biden took office, has really solidified that.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain was all too excited to announce the launching of a COVID website.
We're launching https://t.co/fk7dyHLC9L today, a single site where you can find your second booster, or order free tests, or find out where you can go "test to treat:" get tested, and if positive, immediately get medicine to treat your case of COVID. Check it out:
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) March 30, 2022
why did this take 14 months
— the great philouza (@philouzatweets) March 30, 2022
Very timely. 2 weeks to flatten the curve!
— Thornton Melon (@URaRa_Wisconsin) March 30, 2022
He was retweeted by the official White House account, which also sent out its own tweet.
Today, our Administration is launching https://t.co/NDM1ko6LYN, a new one-stop shop website to help all people in the U.S. gain even better access to lifesaving tools like vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19 in their area. pic.twitter.com/ps5ZPg1fQH
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 30, 2022
Biden also spoke about the website during remarks he gave on Wednesday. When it comes to "a new moment in this pandemic," the president offered that "it does not mean that COVID-19 is over; it means that COVID-19 no longer controls our lives. That’s what it means."
Happening Now: President Biden delivers remarks on the status of the country’s fight against COVID-19. https://t.co/art9mXyS6O
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 30, 2022
Wow good thing nothing like this was needed the past two+ years https://t.co/5MNCIdZCGY
— Landon Mion (@landon_mion) March 30, 2022
Throughout his speech, Biden urged Congress to approve additional COVID relief funds:
But if Congress fails to act, we won’t have the supply we need this fall to ensure that shots are available, free, easily accessible for all Americans.
Even worse, if we need a different vaccine for the future to combat a new variant, we’re not going to have enough money to purchase it. We cannot allow that to happen.
Congress, we need to secure additional supply now. Now. We can’t wait until we find ourselves in the midst of another surge to act. It’ll be too late.
And we also need this — this funding to continue our efforts to vaccinate the world — commitments we made. It’s critical to our ability to protect against new variants. There’s no wall that you can build high enough to keep out a virus.
Congress needs to act now, please.
The president also continued to tout efforts from his administration on handling the virus, including testing and treatments. "And then we got to work, and we delivered: enough vaccines for every American months ahead of schedule, effective treatments, at-home tests that are free and accessible," Biden said about his administration taking office last January.
Just like COVID.gov, however, those efforts were perceived as coming too little too late as well. The free rapid tests that were promised were not sent out to Americans until mid-January and took up to 12 days to ship. In December, as Katie covered at the time, it was revealed by Vanity Fair that Biden rejected a plan in October to ramp up testing supply.
Further, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) caused issues with treatments by interfering with the supply chain, as those such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) raised issue with last December.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Biden received his second booster shot, which has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for those 50 or over and who are immunocompromised. He received his first booster last September.