Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House To Distribute $10B To Schools To Boost Covid Testing
NPR: White House Announces $10 Billion For COVID-19 Testing In Schools
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will spend $10 billion to expand testing for schools, to aid in the president's goal to get schools open once again. The funds will come from the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package President Biden signed last week. "With this funding for testing, every state in America will have access to millions of dollars to set up screening testing programs, to add a layer of protection for schools, teachers and students," Carole Johnson, the White House COVID-19 Testing Coordinator, said at a news briefing. (Wamsley, 3/17)
Politico: Biden Admin Unveils $10B School Testing Plan For Covid-19
The Biden administration will spend $10 billion to screen schoolchildren for Covid-19 to help hasten their return to in-person learning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will administer the school-screening program, announced Wednesday. The agency is giving $10 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to states and certain cities to set up testing, with the aim of reopening schools in the final months of the school year. (Lim, 3/17)
AP: Expanded Testing Part Of Biden Administration School Plans
Most public schools haven't been able to afford the robust testing seen as critical to reopening safely, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “With this investment, help truly is on the way to aid school systems in implementing a testing system that will help keep students, educators and staff safe inside school buildings,” she said in a statement. (Thompson, 3/17)
In related news about teacher vaccinations —
The Hill: Biden Education Chief: Vaccines Will Likely Not Be Mandatory For Teachers
President Biden’s Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday that vaccines will likely not be mandatory for teachers in order to reopen schools. “I think we've seen examples where schools can open safely and be effective. But we know that prioritizing vaccinations will only assist with that,” Cardona told Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News. (Lonas, 3/17)
NBC News: Education Secretary Cardona Says Expanding Testing, Vaccines Will Help Keep Schools Open
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday that making sure educators are vaccinated is the top priority to keep schools open for children and teens. "We've seen examples where schools can open safely and be effective, but we know that prioritizing vaccinations will only assist with that," Cardona said in an interview with NBC Nightly News' Lester Holt. (Clark and Richardson, 3/17)
And more on covid testing —
NBC News: Critics Say Regulatory Holdup Is Delaying Key Weapon In Coronavirus Fight
Federal protocols and other regulatory hurdles are compromising a tool critical to containing the ever-evolving coronavirus: cheap, rapid antigen tests growing in use across Europe to safely reopen schools, public health officials and some members of Congress say. With variants multiplying, "this virus could get ahead of our vaccines" and "we haven't seen the same push" on testing as there has been on vaccines, Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., said in a hearing with Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration's research director; Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert; and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Przybyla, 3/18)
