The Trump administration is weighing the costs of disposing of or continuing to distribute over 160 million coronavirus tests valued at over $500 million. Internal documents from the Department of Health and Human Services revealed plans to potentially shut down the COVIDtests.gov platform that provides free tests to Americans. With expensive logistics involved in both destruction and keeping stockpiles, officials are grappling with the implications of their choices amid a backdrop of shifting administrations and executive orders. The outcome of these considerations represents a significant pivot in the ongoing pandemic response.
"It's expensive to stockpile these tests," said Dawn O'Connell, the former ASPR chief who served in the Biden administration but had no knowledge of the current planning. "Destruction costs a significant amount of money, but hanging on to them costs a significant amount of money."
Internal documents show that officials within the Department of Health and Human Services have been considering two options: either disposing of or continuing to ship more than 160 million tests, valued at more than half a billion dollars.
The agency is proposing to shut down one of the channels for distributing them, COVIDtests.gov, Tuesday night, according to the agency officials and internal documents.
The pending decision on coronavirus tests also represents yet another turning point in the fight against the pandemic.
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