Walmart, Amazon, Kroger play role in Biden's COVID-19 plan
The retail giants have agreed to sell at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to the public at cost
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Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger will play a key role in President Biden’s latest plan to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House revealed on Thursday.
The retail giants have agreed to sell at-home rapid COVID-19 tests to the public at cost beginning later this week, a senior administration official said. The tests will be available for purchase online or in-stores at a discount of up to 35% for the next three months.
Officials from Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 84.27 | -0.20 | -0.24% |
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 202.61 | -8.87 | -4.19% |
| KR | THE KROGER CO. | 58.03 | -0.73 | -1.23% |
The Biden administration unveiled its plan to expand access to affordable COVID-19 tests as part of a six-pronged effort to address a surge in cases due to the delta variant. The plan includes COVID-19 booster shots and mandatory vaccinations for federal employees.
Aside from the partnership with private companies, the administration will utilize the Defense Production Act and nearly $2 billion to procure approximately 280 million rapid COVID-19 tests.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services’ free COVID-19 testing program will expand to provide services at 10,000 pharmacies nationwide. The administration will also direct Medicaid to offer at-home testing to beneficiaries for free.
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Biden’s plan also includes a provision with major implications for the private sector.
The administration will direct the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require companies with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccinations or require weekly COVID-19 testing. The rule is expected to apply to more than 80 million Americans.