The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-26)

A8 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 , 2021

The Coronavirus Pandemic

BYYASMEENABUTALEB

TheBiden administration an-
nounced additional steps on
Mondaytoi ncrease theavailabil-
ityofr apidat-home coronavirus
tests and bringdowntheir cost.
Thebiggest changeisa
$70 million investment by the
NationalInstitutes ofHealth —
using funds from the American
Rescue Plan, which was passed
earlier this year—tohelp manu-
facturers navigate theFood and
Drug Administration’s regulato-
ry process. TheNIH program
aims to speed up the authoriza-
tion process for newtests by
helping manufacturers produce
the data regulators need.It will
also identifyrapidtests that
have the potential to be pro-
duced and distributed onalarge
scale.
Theat-home tests couldbe
parti cularly useful duringwhat
experts predictmay be abad flu
season,particularly in settings
suchasschools, long-termcare
facilities andnursinghomes.The
tests, someofwhich return re-

sults within minutes, can help

distinguishbetweenthe flu and

the coronavirus—for which

symptoms can be highly similar

—and help ensure that those

mostatrisk,including the elder-

ly and immunocompromised,

are protected.

Theefforts by the administra-

tioncome just as it isexpected to

finalizearulerequiring busi-

nesses with more than 100 em-

ployees to mandatevaccinations

for all employees or else face

weekly testing. Expertshavesaid

the at-hometests could playa

crucial role in the implementa-

tionofthatrulefor employees

who opt for regular testing in-

steadofvaccination.The rule is

expected to cover 100 million

employees.

“This is allextremelygood

news, andIlove thattheyare

expanding thevalidationefforts

so thatthere won’tjustbemore

tests, but high-qualitytests,”

said Gigi Gronvall, asenior

scholarat the Johns Hopkins

Center forHealth Security. “Un-

fortunately,testing is one of

those things thatwecan’t just

leave up to the market to decide

—thing scould changeinthe

pandemic thatmaketesting

more or lessapriorityfor indi-

viduals.”

Monday’sannouncement is

partofabroader administra-

tion efforttoaddress the short-

ageofa t-homerapid tests in the

UnitedStates to help guide

decisionsabout participating in

school, work and otheractivi-

ties. Americanconsumers have

had far fewer suchtests avail-

able thantheir counterpartsin

parts of Europe andAsia, which

experts saywould have been

especially useful duringthe del-

ta surge.

Earlier this month, the Biden

administration announced it

would buy $1 billion worth of

such tests to address shortages,

amoveheralded by public

health experts who said it was

overdue.TheWhite House ex-

pects thatdecision and the pur-

chase of the additional tests will

increase the number ofat-home

tests to 200 million per month

by December.

Therapid teststend to be less

accuratethan lab-basedPCR

tests, but theydeliver results in

realtime andcan beadminis-

tered regularly.The at-home

te stsare typica lly about80 per-

cent sensitive,while labtests are

about 98 percent sensitive.

Since theadministration’s an-

nouncement of the$1billion

purchasing move on Oct. 6, the

FDAhas heard from more test

developerswho haveexpressed

interest in bringing their tests to

the U.S. market,said Jeff Shuren,

directorof theFDA’s Center for

Devices and RadiologicalHealth.

Shuren said somemanufac-

turershavehad challenges in

evaluatingtheir tests and that

the newNIH program will“take

thatburdenoff [themanufactur-

ers’] shoulders” and help devel-

opers better understandwhat

data the FDAneeds.

“I think this,combinedwith

the administration nowputting

money into purchasing largevol-

umes oftests ,isr eally propping

up the marketplace and leading

totheU.S.becomingmoreattrac-

tive for developers,”Shuren said

in an interview. “For th ose mak-

ing tests in largevolumes but

who maynot have adequate

evidence, there’s the opportunity

potentially for thatevidence to

be gathered quickly through” the

NIH program.

Theagencyalso announced

thatithad authorized an addi-

tional testfromCelltrion Dia-

trust, markingthe 10 th over-the-

counter testthe FDAhas signed

offon.

Whileexperts have acknowl-

edged the importance of boost-

ing the availability of rapid

tests, theysay theyare only

useful in combination with oth-

er public health measures, such

as vaccinations and indoor

masking in areas with high

transmission of the virus.The

United Kingdom, for instance,

has invested heavily in purchas-

ing rapid at-home tests so they

are easilyavailable to consum-

ers, but itstill hasahigherrate

of coronavirus cases compared

with theUnited States and other

European countries. Experts say

that’sprobably because the na-

tion hasgone too far in relaxing

some restrictions.

[email protected]

Biden looks to boost availability of rapid at-home tests

$70 million investment

by NIH will help firms

navigate regulatory steps

0

50k

100k

150k

200k

250k

300k

7-dayavg.

Feb. 29, 2020 Jan. 2021 Oct.

0

2k

4k

7-dayavg.

Feb. 29, 2020 Jan.2 021 Oct. 25

0

1m

2m

3m

4m

7-dayavg.

Feb. 29, 2020 Jan.2 021 Oct. 25

As of8p.m.Monday

45,345, 791

90,

414,302, 192

656,

734,

Yesterday1,

Total

DEATHS

Yesterday

Total

VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED

Newcoronavirus cases, deaths and

vaccine doses in theU.S., by day

Total

CASES

Yesterday

BYLORIARATANI

Vaccination will not be re-
quired forchildren under age
to tr avel to theUnited States once
officialsliftabanoninternational
visitors,buttheywillhavetoshow
proof ofanegative coronavirus
testbefore boardingaflight, ac-
cording to rules outlinedMonday
by the Biden administration.
With abouttwoweeks togo
before theUnited States lifts a
travel ban on visitors from
33 countries, federal healthoffi-
cialsoffered more specifics for
travelers and airlines before re-
strictions are lifted Nov. 8. Al-
thoughvaccin ationwon’t be re-
quiredforchildren,mostnon-U.S.
citizens and nonimmigrants ar-
riving by air will have to show
both proof ofvaccination and
proof ofanegative coronavirus
testtakenat leastthree days be-
fore departure.
“With science and public
healthasour guide, theUnited
States has developedanew inter-
nationalair tr avel system that
bothenhances thesafety ofAmer-
icans hereat home and enhances
thesafetyofinternationalairtrav-
el,”the WhiteHouse said in a
statement.
Federal healthofficial ssaidthe
exception was made for children
because manydonot ha ve access
to or are not yeteligible for the
vaccines.However,children must
still be tested before traveling to
the United States.Those traveling
withvaccinated adultsmustbe
tested within the previousthree
days, while those travelingwith
unvaccinated adults or who are
traveling alone mustshow proof
of anegativetesttaken one day
before their flight.
Thenew rules don’t require
U.S. citizens and legal permanent
residents to bevaccinated but do
outline different testing require-
mentsdependingontheirvaccine
status. Those who have beenvac-
cinated mustshow proof of a
negative testtakenat leastthree

days before their departure.

Thosewhoareunvaccinatedmust

show proof ofatesttaken one day

before their departure.

It will beup to airlines to verify

aperson’s vaccination and testing

status, officials said. Many air-

lines already have systems that

allow travelers to uploadproof of

anegative testand vaccinestatus.

In addition, international visitors

will have to provide information

forhowtheycanbereachedinthe

United States for contact-tracing

efforts.

“These arestrictsafety proto-

cols thatfollow the science and

public health to advance the safe-

ty of Americans hereat home and

thesafetyofinternationalairtrav-

el,”asenior WhiteHouse official

said inabriefing with reporters.

TheBiden administration an-

nounced in September thatitw as

replacing the travel ban on inter-

nationalvisitors withasystem

thatwould relyon vaccination,

te sting and contacttracingfor

visitors wishing to come to the

United States.

Theannouncement was wel-

comed by the travel industry,

which has been pushing thegov-

ernment for more thanayear to

liftthe travel banontravelers

from33countries.Withthebanin

place, industryrepresentatives

feared theUnited States was los-

ing ground to Europe, which be-

gan to ease travel re strictions for

Americans this summer.Canada

openedits borders onAug.9to

visitors from theUnited States

who had beenvaccinated.

Kevin M. Burke, president of

AirportsCouncil International-

NorthAmerica, said the newpro-

tocols will help the nation safely

and securely reopen itsborders.

“Weappreciate the Biden ad-

ministration’s commitment to

working with industryonthese

complex challenges and we look

forward to our ongoingworkas

the November 8reopen date

nears,”hes aid inastatement.

Since the announcement in

September, the administration

has slowly been laying the

groundwork for lifting the ban.

That incl uded the Centers for Dis-

ease Control andPreventionde-

ciding whichvaccines would be

accepted,specifyingthattravelers

musthavereceivedthosewithfull

or emergencyapproval from the

U.S. Food and Drug Administra-

tion or theWorld Health Organi-

zation.

In January, President Donald

Trump announcedaplan to end

the travel ban, saying it was un-

necessarybecause of his adminis-

tration’s policythatrequired in-

ternational travelers to provide

proof of anegative testbefore

boardingU.S.-bound flights. But

within days of taking office, the

Biden administration reinstated

the ban and added SouthAfrica,

and laterIndia, to the list, citing

the need to control the spread of

coronavirusvariants.

In June, the White House

formedworki ng groupstohelp

determine when to liftrules that

banned international visitors

from certain countries.

Under the restrictions,most

foreign nationals whohavebeen

in theUnited Kingdom, several

EuropeanUnion countries, Brazil

or China in the previous14days

are not permitted to enter the

United States.India was addedto

the listinMay.

TheWhite House also an-

nounced thismont hitwas easing

pandemic-related restrictions on

overland border crossings from

Canada andMexico. Officials said

Mondaytheywould release addi-

tionalinformationabout require-

ments thatpeople comingtothe

United States vialand borders

mustfollow.

Theupdatedpolicyofferslimit-

ed exceptions for individuals en-

rolled in certain coronavirus vac-

cine clinical trials and those who

shouldn’tgetvaccinatedformedi-

cal reasons.Those who need to

travel for emergencyorhumani-

tarian reasons and havealetter

iss ued by theU.S. government

verifying their need to travel also

maybeexempted.

In addition, those with non-

tourist visa scomingtot he United

Statesfromcountrieswherethere

is lowvaccineavailabilityasde-

termined by the CDC maybe

allowed to travel to theUnited

States.Those who receiveexemp-

tions but intend tostay for more

than 60 days mayberequired to

getvaccinated once in theUnited

States.

[email protected]

Children under 18 traveling to U.S. exempt from vaccination requirement

DANIEL SLIM/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

Travelerswalk throughMiamiInternationalAirportinAugust. Effe ctive Nov. 8, mostnon-U.S.citizens andnonimmigrants arrivingbyair

will have toshow proofofvaccinationand proofof anegative coronavirus test takenatleast three daysbeforedeparture.

Officials outline testing,

immunization rules for

foreign fliers as of Nov. 8

BYANDREASALCEDO

Police officers across the coun-
trywere among thefirsttobe-
come eligibletoreceive the coro-
navirus vaccine, but some are
still declining the shots, leaving
themclashingwithcityleadersas
immunization mandatesgo into
effect.
In Chicago,daysbefore police
officers were due to reporttheir
vaccination status following a
citywide mandate, the head of its

police union urged officers to

ignore the deadlineand “hold the

line.”Thousands ofLosAngeles

Police Department employees

say they’ll seekvaccineexemp-

tions after police officials filed a

federal lawsuit againstthe city

over vaccination and mask man-

dates.

At least150of ficers,theMassa-

chusettspolice union recently

reported, have resigned or sub-

mitted paperwork to do so over

that state’simmunization re-

quirements.And lastweek, the

president ofNewYork City’slarg-

estpolice union said it plans to

sue Democratic Mayor Bill de

Blasio for requiringall cit yem-

ployees togettheir firstvaccine

dos es beforeNov. 1.

But there is onestatewilli ng to

takeinu nvaccin atedla wenforce-

ment personnel who are termi-

nated if theychoos enot toget

immunized: Florida.

On Sunday, RepublicanGov.

RonDeSantis announced plans

to offer unvaccinated officers

$5,000 bonuses to relocate to his

stateand join the police force.

“We’reactually actively work-

ing to recruit out-of-state law

enforcement, becausewedohave

needs in our police and our

sheriff’sdepartments,”DeSantis

saidduringaninterviewon“Sun-

dayMorningFutures” withFox

News hostMaria Bartiromo.

DeSantis,who told Bartiromo

he hopes to sign suchabill in the

next legislative session,urged

officers inNewYork, Minneapo-

lis and Seattle to relocate to

Florida if their departments do

notoffer accommodations to

thos edecliningthe coronavirus

vaccine.Aspokeswomanwiththe

governor’s office did not immedi-

ately respond toamessage from

TheWashingtonPost late Sun-

day.

“If you’renot being treated

well, we’lltreatyou better here,”

DeSantis said on Sunday. “You

can fill important needs for us,

and we’llcompensate you as a

result.”

Covid-19 was the leading cause

of line-of-dutydeaths lastyear,

killingat least182 officers, ac-

cording to theNationalLawEn-

forcement MemorialFund,

which tracks such deaths,The

Post reported.That’s nearlytwice

the number killed by gun vio-

lence and vehicle crashes com-

bined. At least133 of ficers have

died of covid-19 so far this year,

according to the organization.

TheOfficer DownMemorial

Page,anonprofithonoringAmer-

ican lawenforcement personnel

who have died in the line of duty,

also reported covid-19 as the top

killer of police officers in 2020

and 2021. “Pleasegetvaccinated,”

the organizationtweeted in Au-

gust.

TheNationalFraternal Order

of Police has also urged officers to

“seriously consider receiving the

vaccine to protectthemselves

and others from becoming seri-

ously ill,”although its president,

Patrick Yoes, has said the organi-

zation “vehemently opposes”

mandates from anyorganization,

employer orgovernment agency.

Aspokespersonfor the organi-

zation did not immediately re-

spondtoamessagefromThePost

seeking comment on the an-

nouncement by DeSantis.

Thegovernor has opposedvac-

cine and mask mandates

throughout the pandemic. He

banned Florida school districts

from requiringstudents to wear

masks and lastweek called for a

specialstatelegislative session to

block federal vaccine require-

ments.

“Nobodyshould lose their job

based offthese injections,”De-

Santis said on Sunday.

[email protected]

MarkBermancontributed tothis

report.

DeSantis o≠ers $5,000 to police who decline vaccines to relocate to Florida

Republican governor

says state will treat

officers ‘better’