The CDC said March 17 it will invest more than $12 billion to expand COVID-19 testing in schools and underserved communities.
The CDC will invest $10 billion to boost screening testing in schools as part of a plan for schools to reopen in the final months of this school year. It will also invest $2.25 billion to scale up testing in underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural areas.
The agency also said it will release new guidance on asymptomatic screening testing in schools, workplaces and congregate settings.
"COVID-19 testing is critical to saving lives and restoring economic activity," acting HHS Secretary Norris Cochran said in a news release, adding that the Biden administration aims to get testing to the people who need it most.
The CDC said serial screening testing will help schools identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and prevent further transmission.
The funding comes from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
Read the full news release here.