President Biden, on his second day in office, issued a national Covid-19 strategy and signed ten executive orders and other directives as part of the plan. Below are the contents of the plan and the specific changes people can expect in the coming weeks and months:
- Increased supplies such as masks, gowns, gloves, Covid-19 rapid test kits, test agents, and vaccine supplies through federal agency actions that include authorization from the Defense Production Act.
- States and schools will see more funding. Reimbursement of the cost of National Guard personnel and supplies will increase from 100% to 100%, and a federal disaster relief fund will be used to cover eligible reopening costs for schools.
- A federal testing board will be created to increase testing, increase test manufacturing in the U.S., support school screening, and ensure fairness in testing communities of color.
- Travelers will need to wear masks at airports and on certain types of public transportation, such as many trains, boats, intercity buses, and airplanes. International travelers will need to demonstrate a negative test of Covid-19 before leaving for the U.S. and meet the isolation and quarantine guidelines on arrival.
- A federal preclinical drug discovery and development program will focus on the development and evaluation of treatments for pandemic threats and will support access to treatments for people without health insurance.
- Public control panels with information on Covid-19 cases, tests, vaccines and hospital admissions will be made available nationally and statewide.
- Covid response links will be established for each state, as the administration supports the launch of 100 federally supported vaccination centers and the availability of vaccines in pharmacies next month.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will make known the employer’s guidelines for protecting workers from exposure and will examine the establishment of temporary emergency rules.
- A federal working group will be set up to offer recommendations to Mr. Biden on allocating resources and funding to communities with inequalities in virus outcomes by race, ethnicity, geography, disability, and other considerations.
- A presidential directive focuses on supporting the international pandemic response effort.
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