As omicron infections and hospitalizations continue to peak in the U.S., a high-stakes battle over the national public health response is being fought in the rafters of political Washington.
On Jan. 13, two major developments in the judicial and executive branches unfolded within hours of each other:
The Supreme Court blocked a Biden administration mandate that requires workers at large companies to be vaccinated or otherwise wear masks and be tested weekly. The court voted, however, to uphold another directive that requires vaccinations for healthcare workers at hospitals and care facilities that receive federal funds, i.e. Medicare and Medicaid.President Joe Biden announced plans to procure another 500 million tests to be distributed for free. Also, the White House will soon deploy more than 120 military medical personnel to help staff hospitals facing a deluge of cases in six states—in addition to the >800 military and federal emergency personnel, including 350 military healthcare workers, that have been sent to 24 states and territories.Given the virulence of the omicron variant and the resulting shortage of healthcare professionals, how are health systems across the nation coping with the latest surge?
