WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is directing $10 billion from the recently passed stimulus package towards increased Covid-19 testing in schools, as the White House grapples with the difficult task of getting the nation’s school children back into desks.
The funding will go out in April and be awarded directly to states, the administration said Wednesday. Because the funding will be allocated proportionally, large states like California and Texas receiving more than $800 million each, the administration said.
Along with the school funding, the administration is also designating $2.25 billion for Covid-19 testing to address health disparities among underserved populations.
The testing funds are the latest effort by the Biden administration to push for schools to reopen.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden directed states to prioritize teachers for vaccinations and all states now include teachers as a priority group. The administration also allocated $650 million earlier this month for testing in K-8 schools and underserved congregate settings, like homeless shelters.
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The administration is encouraging schools to use the testing to help identify symptomatic and asymptomatic students and to work with the Centers for Disease Control and local health departments.
“COVID-19 testing is critical to saving lives and restoring economic activity,” HHS 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.”
Even with a growing number of teachers vaccinated, testing will remain crucial because younger students may not be eligible to get the vaccine until early next year while vaccine makers wait for expanded safety trials.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
