The White House is accentuating the positive when it comes to the availability of COVID-19 antigen tests for home use; pointing to how there are more now than there used to be at a time when there is still not nearly enough.
With plans for half a billion tests to be sent out at a yet-to-be-determined date early next year, the Biden administration is pointing to how those looking for tests before seeing loved ones on Christmas Eve at least have a better chance of doing so than they did in the past.
“When President Biden came into office there were zero at home antigen tests on the market. Today there are eight and we have quadrupled the supply,” the White House tweeted Friday morning, including a bar graph showing that there are currently 195 million over-the-counter tests in the market, compared to just 46 million in October.
The current number is still dwarfed by the 500 million additional tests the administration is promising to make available beginning in January. The tweet also ignores how until recently the White House had no plans to provide free tests for individuals. It was just this month when White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the idea of free tests when it was suggested by NPR reporter Mara Liasson.
