WASHINGTON — Beginning this month, Americans will be able to head to their local pharmacy for a COVID-19 test and, if they test positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot, at no cost to them.
President Joe Biden announced the launch of the “Test to Treat” initiative during Tuesday night’s State of the Union Address, and the White House elaborated on the program Wednesday morning as part of a broader plan to help American get back to more normal routines as the country continues to combat the virus.
“The President’s national COVID-19 preparedness plan that we’re releasing today will help us move forward safely, sustaining and building on the progress we’ve made over the last 13 months,” White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday.
In December, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the Pfizer antiviral pill, which reduce the chances of being hospitalized with COVID-19 by 90%.
There will be 1 million pills available this month, “and we’ll have more than double that in April,” Zients said. The one-stop COVID-19 response shops are expected to open at hundreds of locations in coming weeks, such as at CVS, Walgreens and Kroger.
