(WXYZ) — According to the White House, President Joe Biden is taking all extra precautions to protect American citizens and health care personnel from the COVID-19 variants that continue to spread across the state.
In a press release, the White House said President Biden plans on increasing support for state hospitals by deploying additional medical personnel, expanding hospital capacity, preparing for extra beds, and more.
Michigan has already received federal medical assistance in at least three local hospitals as cases in the state continue to rise.
The President has also directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to ready an additional 1,000 service members—military doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel—to deploy to hospitals during January and February, as needed.
FEMA has already provided states millions of dollars to expand hospital capacity and is ready to deploy hundreds of ambulances and emergency medical teams so that if one hospital fills up, they can transport patients to open beds in other facilities.
President Biden's extra precautions also include extra PPE and ventilators.
Michigan State has already received 330 vents to help with the surge.
In addition to hospital support, the White House says the President will ensure Americans have free access to testing, including convenient, at-home tests.
Today, the President announced his Administration will purchase a half-billion at-home, rapid tests this winter to be distributed for free to Americans who want them. Citizens will simply have to go to a website to get the test delivered to their homes for free.
President Biden also plans on opening up new federal testing sites around the country.
73% of adult Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and around 1 million booster shots are given out each day. Biden is hoping to help these numbers increase by deploying pop-up clinics and additional federal vaccinators.
