The White House clarified Vice President Kamala Harris’ comments on when the administration would be sending out 500 million COVID-19 tests.
When asked about the administration’s timeline for sending the tests to Americans, Harris told NBC News’ Craig Melvin, “Shortly. They’ve been ordered — I have to look at the current information. I think it’s going to be by next week. But soon. Absolutely soon. And it is a matter of urgency for us.”
Melvin pressed Harris on whether the administration should have done that sooner.
She replied, “We are doing it.”
The 500 million free COVID tests the administration plans to send to every American will be sent out “by next week,” @VP says.
— The Recount (@therecount) January 13, 2022
NBC's Craig Melvin: Should we have done that sooner?
VP Harris: We are doing it.
Melvin: But should we have done it sooner?
Harris: We are doing it. pic.twitter.com/0B77nhjXMd
The White House clarified Harris’ comments just hours after the interview.
CBS News’ Tim Perry tweeted, “A WH Official tells [CBS News], ‘the President’s 500 million at home tests will be sent out later this month, and we expect all contracts to be awarded over the course of the next two weeks.’ Says more details to come tomorrow.”
UPDATE: The WH is clarifying @VP Harris' comments. A WH Official tells @CBSNews, "the President’s 500 million at home tests will be sent out later this month, and we expect all contracts to be awarded over the course of the next two weeks." Says more details to come tomorrow. https://t.co/FnD50g8ski
— Tim Perry (@tperry518) January 13, 2022
Additionally, Melvin asked Harris why the United States is not doing better in the fight against Covid.
“People are rightly frustrated with where we are. We’re frustrated. We’re all frustrated but I think it’s a mistake and it would be a mistake to suggest that we’ve not seen great progress,” Harris said.
She added, “If you think back to March of 2020, we were all wiping down the boxes that we got if we ordered things online. There was no vaccine. Now we have a vaccine which has proved to be effective and boosters. Now we have our children back in school. Ninety-five percent of schools are back open. We’re building back up, we’re opening back up, and we are not where we were a year ago.”
Why aren’t we doing better in the fight against COVID? –@craigmelvin
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 13, 2022
We’re building back up, we’re opening back up, and we are not where we were a year ago. –@VP pic.twitter.com/ulo60st249
According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, 55% disapproved of Biden’s handling of the pandemic.