HHS announces $10 billion to expand coronavirus testing in schools
Source: CNN
By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
Updated 12:03 PM ET, Wed March 17, 2021
(CNN) - The US Department of Health and Human Services is funneling $10 billion to states to help implement coronavirus surveillance testing in K-12 schools across the country, the agency announced Wednesday, as part of the Biden administration's push to help schools reopen safely for in-person learning.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also releasing new guidance on the appropriate use of surveillance testing in schools and other communal settings, HHS announced.
The agency said the funds, which were approved as part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief law, "will be able to be deployed quickly" and will help schools test teachers, students and staff who were exposed to the virus and help identify asymptomatic cases of the virus to prevent the virus from spreading further in schools.
"Covid-19 testing is critical to saving lives and restoring economic activity," the agency's acting Secretary Norris Cochran said in a statement. "As part of the Biden administration's national strategy, HHS will continue to expand our capacity to get testing to the individuals and the places that need it most, so we can prevent transmission of the virus and defeat the pandemic."
President Joe Biden has set a goal of reopening a majority of schools in the US for in-person learning within his first 100 days in office. Earlier this month, Biden urged states to prioritize teachers and school staff to get at least one shot by the end of March and used his authority to prioritize teacher vaccinations through the federal supply of vaccines to pharmacies.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/politics/covid-19-testing-schools/index.html
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