An October plan to increase the availability of at-home COVID-19 rapid tests before the holidays was scrapped by the Biden administration, Vanity Fair reports.
A 10-page plan obtained by the outlet showed the Biden administration considered calling for the U.S. to pump out an estimated 732 million rapid tests a month, which experts estimated would have been enough to avoid the desperate clamoring for tests that is currently happening during the holiday season. However, the plan was spiked by the White House due to concerns over whether the U.S. had the capacity to manufacture the over-the-counter tests at such a rapid clip. Instead, the White House moved forward with a plan to push more versions of rapid tests through the FDA's regulatory process, according to a an administration official who spoke to Vanity Fair.
