Biden administration outlines long-term COVID-19 plan, but what does it include?
The plan includes manufacturing a billion more vaccine doses per year, but there's still no word on how much it'll cost.
In the past week, California has outlined its endemic plan to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks with fewer disruptions to life.
Since then, cities have started dropping mask and vaccine mandates.
Los Angeles County plans to end its indoor mask requirements on Friday, March 4.
On Wednesday, the White House made it clear in a 96-page plan that its long-term approach goes beyond California.
"We are moving to a time when we can work to protect against this virus and treat it, and move back towards closer to our normal routines," said Dr. Tom Inglesby, Senior Advisor to the White House's Covid Response.
The plan includes manufacturing a billion more vaccine doses per year, which is three times the nation's population. It also wants to make more free COVID tests and masks available for Americans who want them, and develop a COVID variant playbook that updates the vaccines, should it be needed.
"I can't promise a new variant won't come," said President Joe Biden during his first State of the Union speech on Tuesday. "But I can promise you we'll do everything in our power to be ready if it does."
READ MORE | State of the Union 2022: Watch President Biden's speech
The administration also wants testing and treatment to be an all-in-one deal. Pfizer's oral medication will double from the 1 million that's currently available this month to 2 million in April.
They are free, when available, and are meant to reduce symptoms similar to how one takes medicine for the flu.
There's isn't word yet on how much Biden's plan will cost.
When asked whether he expects to accomplish everything on the list, Inglesby said yes, and pointed to what the administration was able to accomplish from its first COVID plan.
"Some parts of the plan will require new resources, and that's why the administration is working closely with congress to get those resources," said Inglesby. "Some of the plan has already begun and will be able to go forward with resources that already exist."
So far, the administration has briefed congress on a $30 billion request for immediate aid.
