White House releases winter COVID plan - free tests, shots, and masks are ready

President Joe Biden on Thursday released his plan for combatting the COVID virus this winter that includes free testing, pushing doctors to give patients the vaccine and plenty of equipment on standby.

The plan resembles the one he released in March 2020 as a presidential candidate when he was running against Donald Trump, when he blasted the then-president for a floundering response to the pandemic.

And it comes as COVID cases are on the rise, particularly after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and hospital beds are 80 percent full. Some areas of the country are urging residents to mask-up in indoor public spaces again.

There were almost 3,000 reported COVID deaths for the week that ended Dec. 7. The seven-day average of COVID cases jumped to almost 459,000 infections for the week that ended Dec. 7 - that is up from an average of about 307,000 cases for the week that ended Nov. 30.

President Joe Biden releases his winter COVID plan - similar to his March 2020 plan

The Biden administration has resumed offering free COVID tests - four per household

And health officials are worried that number will grow higher when families gather together - indoors - for the upcoming holiday season.

'If somebody gets vaccinated tomorrow, they will have some protection by Christmas. But it's not like Christmas Day is the last day people socialize over winter,' White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told CNN. 'So getting vaccinated as quickly as possible so you have protection for as much time as possible, is critical.' 

Compounding the worries is the fact that other respiratory diseases are on the rise. 

In fact, some experts worry of a 'tripledemic' of COVID, the flu, and the respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V.

Currently 80% of general beds nationwide are full, which means they are as busy as they ever were at the worst of COVID. Flu hospitalizations are at a 13-year high and RSV hospital admissions are unseasonably high too.

But the administration is particularly pushing the COVID vaccine as COVID can be transmitted a lot more even when a person is asymptomatic while the spread of RSV and the flu largely happens when a person is symptomatic.

'We are very aware that this increase that we're seeing in COVID is in that context of one of the worst flu seasons in a decade and RSV that was quite bad,' Jha said.

He said if Americans feel sick this holiday season, they should stay home. 

'You don't know what virus you have and there's no value in spreading it to other people,' Jha said.

The administration is resuming its offer of four free COVID tests for every household. Tests can be ordered through the U.S. Postal system via COVIDTests.gov and will start shipping next week.

The free testing program was ended three months ago after Congress hadn't authorized more COVID funds. At the time, the White House said it wanted to reserve supplies for the winter months. 

The Department of Health and Human Services used leftover funding from the American Rescue Plan - the March 2021 COVID relief bill - to purchase more rapid tests for the free test program, Politico reported.

Around 600 million were sent out during the first two phases of the program.

COVID cases are on the rise after the Thanksgiving holiday according to CDC data

Around 600 million free COVID tests were sent out during the first two phases of the program

Additionally, the Biden administration notes the government has 'hundreds of millions of N-95 masks, billions of gloves, tens of millions of gowns, and over 100,000 ventilators stored in the Strategic National Stockpile.'

These supplies have been pre-positioned in strategic locations across the country so they are ready to be used.

So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, a senior administration official said.

The administration is also asking hospitals to 'vaccinate their unvaccinated patients or make sure they are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations before they are discharged,' the White House said on Thursday.

And it is offering governors help with mobile and pop-up vaccination sites and releasing a pandemic playbook for nursing homes. 

The administration has struggled to convince Americans to get their COVID booster shot as most people have resumed their normal, pre-pandemic lives. 

Fewer than half of nursing home residents are up to date with their COVID vaccinations. CDC data shows just 46 percent had taken up the most recent offer by November 27, while uptake is just 23 percent for nursing home staff.

Only 13.5% of people age 5 and older who are eligible for the updated booster have gotten the shot, according to CDC data. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci (left) and first lady Jill Biden (right) at an event with the AARP to push seniors to get the new COVID booster shots 

Last week the administration was already trying to get ahead of a new wave by having first lady Jill Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha appear together at an event in the South Court Auditorium, with the head of the AARP. 

The aim was to get Americans over age 50, the demographic the AARP represents, updated with the most recent booster shot, the bivalent vaccine that works on the original COVID strain but also the Omicron variant. 

Dr. Biden said if Americans got their booster shots now, COVID would be less likely strike over the holidays. 

'These moments seem even more precious now, knowing what it's like to lose them to a deadly disease that's kept us apart,' Biden said. 'Which is why the most important thing you can do to prepare for the holidays is get your updated COVID vaccine.'  

'And if you get it now, you'll be protected in time for winter holiday gatherings,' she noted.