Biden administration deploying medical teams and procuring 500 million more tests

The Biden administration is sending medical teams to six states in need of COVID-19 care and procuring an additional 500 million rapid tests, President Biden is announcing Thursday. 

The new tranche of tests doubles the current 500 million at-home tests the administration is in the process of acquiring, bringing the total to 1 billion rapid tests, according to a White House official. The tests will begin to be sent out later this month to American households that request them. 

The six additional federal military medical teams will be going to six states: New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Michigan and New Mexico. The teams of doctors, nurses and other clinical personnel will be supporting major hospitals in those states, including the Cleveland Clinic, Coney Island Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital, near Detroit.