USA Invests $12 Billion to Expand COVID-19 Testing

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it would invest $10 billion from the American Rescue Plan to ramp up coronavirus screening testing to help schools reopen, and $2.25 billion will be used to scale up COVID-19 testing in underserved populations.

Additionally, HHS will provide new guidance on asymptomatic screening testing in schools, workplaces, and congregate settings.

“COVID-19 testing is critical to saving lives and restoring economic activity,” said HHS Acting Secretary Norris Cochran in an HHS press 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.”

In February 2021, HHS announced additional actions to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across the USA as part of its national testing strategy.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on March 17, 2021, about 354 million RT-PCR diagnostic tests, excluding antibody and antigen tests, have been performed to confirm infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent data compiled by Statista on March 8, 2021, indicates the USA leads all other counties in COVID-19 tests processed. Followed by India (221m) and China (160m).

Furthermore, as of March 16, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had authorized 341 coronavirus diagnostic tests, including 254 molecular tests, 72 antibody tests, and 15 antigen tests during the COVID-19 pandemic. And 38 molecular authorizations for home-collected testing.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is located in Washington, D.C.