Test to treat, variant vaccines part of new federal COVID-19 plan

Today members of the Biden COVID-19 preparedness team addressed the nation unmasked and from the same room as they spoke about the country's move to a "new normal" stage of the pandemic, where COVID-19 is no longer a national emergency.Echoing statements made last night during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, Jeff Zients, White House COVID response coordinator, said, "We have reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19 because of the significant progress we made as a country, and we are moving forward safely."Zients said most Americans can now be mask-free, and a new federal response plan released today will focus on four key goals for the path ahead.

These include a new test to treat program, which would provide free medications at commercial pharmacies for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.The plan also includes a vaccine development platform that could tailor vaccines to new variants within 100 days, plans to prevent future school and business shutdowns, and more efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally."The plan is robust and comprehensive," Zients said.Plan promises more antiviralsThe test to treat program will establish "One-Stop Test to Treat" locations at pharmacy-based clinics, community health centers, long-term care facilities, and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities across the country, the White House said."One-stop" sites will be operational within the month and will allow patients who test positive at a pharmacy to be treated with Pfizer's Paxlovid antiviral pills on the spot, for free.Last night Biden said Pfizer would make 1 million antiviral pills this month and 2 million in April.The pills, which were approved late last year, have so far been in short