The site allows people to order four home tests per family and have them delivered by mail. But the tests will not arrive before a period ranging from one week to 12 days.
And the White House announced today, Wednesday, that it will start providing 400 million masks for free in pharmacies and community health centers.
Both initiatives represent the kind of massive government investment that has long been seen in parts of Europe and Asia, but has lagged behind in the United States.
Experts say the plan to distribute one billion tests is a good first step, but it should become a regular part of the pandemic response, noting that in the same way that free vaccines were provided, the government should use its purchasing power to ensure a steady supply of tests.
And while private companies now produce more than 250 million home tests per month, that is still not enough to allow most Americans to test themselves more frequently.
The Biden administration focused most of its early efforts around the coronavirus on rolling out vaccines. As infections declined last spring, demand for tests declined, and many producing companies began closing factories.
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