WASHINGTON (AP) - With the nation yearning for a new normal after its long struggle with the coronavirus, U.S.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra warned Thursday that vaccines, tests and treatments will be "stuck on the ground" unless Congress provides the additional funds the White House has demanded."We have reached a pivot point," Becerra said in an interview with The Associated Press. "How well we pivot is on us."Omicron variant BA.2, which is causing a virus rebound in Europe and Asia, is gaining ground in the U.S., although overall cases here are still in decline.
And Becerra said a funding impasse with Capitol Hill could hamper the Biden administration’ s promising new strategy called "Test to Treat."Under that plan, people could go to their local drugstore for a COVID test, and if they were positive, receive medication they could then take at home.
A "one-stop shop," he called it.But "if you don’t have the dollars to let it fly, you’re stuck," Becerra said. "You’re stuck on the ground."RELATED:2 years since COVID-19 lockdown in Bay Area, here's what has changedIn a wide-ranging interview, Becerra also expressed concerns about cases rising among children as schools lift mask requirements.Schools have become a flashpoint in the COVID response, with some parents objecting to mask requirements as an infringement on personal liberty and others reluctant to put their children near any potential risks.