U.S. to send 100 million rapid Covid-19 tests to states and territories in effort to reopen schools

The U.S. just announced that it would be shipping millions of rapid Covid-19 tests to states across the country in an effort to get kids back in school. Around 6.5 million tests from Abbott Laboratories will be sent this week, with a total of 100 million to be shipped to states and U.S. territories in the coming weeks. In an event yesterday in the White House's Rose Garden, assistant health secretary Brett Giroir held up the credit card-sized rapid test and swabbed both his nostrils to demonstrate how it works, adding that results would be ready in 15 minutes (he tested negative). This rapid test, which does not need any specialized equipment, is intended to help teachers know quickly whether they or someone in their class is sick, and is also intended to help parents determine whether to keep their child at home or send them to school.

In other Covid-19 testing news, the WHO and its partners including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a plan to roll out 120 million rapid Covid-19 tests as early as next month to help low- and middle-income countries ramp up their testing efforts over the next six months.