Officials release next steps in COVID-19 battle
The White House on Wednesday unveiled a plan for fighting COVID-19 in its new phase, with the virus moving from a crisis to a lower-level risk that does not dominate daily life.
The plan comes as the omicron wave has declined and many are eager to turn the page on the pandemic. President Biden in his State of the Union on Tuesday night said COVID-19 “no longer need control our lives” in this “new moment.”
What’s included: The 96-page plan will require new funding from Congress, the White House said, though there are not specific dollar amounts for each item. Ahead of a March 11 deadline for funding the government, the White House recently informally outlined the need for $30 billion focused on domestic needs and $5 billion for global vaccinations.
“To fully execute on this plan requires Congress doing its part to invest in tools that work,” the document states. “This plan lays out the roadmap to help us fight COVID-19 in the future as we move America from crisis to a time when COVID-19 does not disrupt our daily lives and is something we prevent, protect against, and treat.”
The risk of a new variant that upends progress remains a threat, and the plan calls for increased surveillance and data collection aimed at monitoring for new variants.
