By Phil Helsel -
NBC News
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will provide schools with 10 million COVID-19 tests each month, while urging districts to keep classrooms open amid a widespread shortage of testing.
The White House announced that it will distribute 5 million rapid tests to schools each month.
It also pledged to make an additional 5 million PCR tests available through a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) program that collects samples and sends them to laboratories.
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"These additional tests will help schools stay open safely," the White House noted in a fact sheet.
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Students are returning from winter break and the number of cases is increasing across the country, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The peak of cases has created disruptions in many school systems.
Some started 2022 by switching to distance learning or delaying openings.
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Chicago public schools canceled classes for four days after the teachers union voted in favor of distance learning, in part over disputes related to coronavirus testing.
The union and the school district reached an agreement this week that will return students to classrooms this Wednesday.
In Clark County, Nevada, which encompasses Las Vegas, the school district announced a "five-day hiatus" on Tuesday, citing "extreme staffing shortages based on the high number of positive COVID-19 cases."
Seventh and eighth grade students attend a class at Olive Vista High School in Sylmar, California on January 11, 2022. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images
The Biden government explained on Wednesday that they have focused on launching federal testing spaces in the most affected areas and will now study how the programs can support schools.
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The White House noted that the Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will help support schools that want to establish testing programs, including how to access federal funds. .
The White House recently announced that it would purchase 500 million door-to-door tests to mail to people, who could request them through a government-run website.
Last week, the Administration indicated that it had finalized its first contracts related to these tests.
More recently, the Administration said it would force insurance companies and group health plans to cover the cost of eight home tests per person each month starting Saturday.
At the same time, manufacturers have struggled to keep up with demand.
