The U.S. government is finalizing a plan with the U.S. Postal Service to distribute 500 million COVID-19 tests to households nationwide, four people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
Five things to know:
1. The White House is creating a website where people can request the free rapid tests, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
2. COVID-19 test manufacturers and distributions have already submitted federal proposals to provide a portion of the 500 million tests.
3. USPS is in talks with four labor unions to extend its seasonal workforce — about 40,000 employees — to help distribute the tests.
4. The government aims to start shipping tests by mid-January, and a formal announcement may come as early as next week.
5. The plan comes as preliminary research suggests rapid tests may be less sensitive to the omicron variant and, therefore, not a reliable tool to help curb virus transmission.
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