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Opinion: Joe Biden’s free COVID tests are late in coming and exclusionary to the most needful
The Sacramento Bee ^ | January 21, 2022 | by Robin Epley

Posted on 01/21/2022 8:14:18 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

The Biden Administration’s offer of four rapid COVID tests to every household in America is a good start to mitigate the recent surge of coronavirus cases, albeit one that is many months, many transmissions and hospitalizations, and so many deaths late. But limiting households to just four tests favors well-heeled property owners over poor people and people of color who don’t have the means to live in single-family households or don’t have internet access.

The program rolled out this week, and millions rushed to get their four free tests, which will be mailed out via the U.S. Postal Service sometime “in late January.” But the program’s limitations aren’t a design flaw; they’re purposeful. Four-per-household is a hard and fast rule. Meanwhile, renters across the nation are already reporting system denials because the system doesn’t recognize differing apartment numbers at each address.

Studies show that low-income communities and communities of color are already at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus and of developing a long-term, serious illness known as “long COVID.” America’s Indigenous community is dying of COVID at a rate 2.2 times higher than white people, and Black people at a rate 1.9 times higher, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These communities are also the least likely to have access to rapid, affordable testing.

These are also the communities most likely to have multi-generational families or people living in apartments. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, 36% of Hispanic families, 25% of Asian American families and 23% of Black families live in a household with more than four people, compared with 17% of white Americans.

Additionally, American homeowners with two or more properties (such as, say, an Airbnb or vacation home) are disproportionately white and could feasibly order a set of four for each home.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: brandon; ccp; china; covidhometest; virus
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1 posted on 01/21/2022 8:14:18 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Nothing is FREE


2 posted on 01/21/2022 8:18:41 AM PST by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What is the point of a bunch of covid tests if they are not allowing the drugs to treat people?

The fake vaxes have failed, so why bother with tests?

When is all this silly bullsheet going to stop?


3 posted on 01/21/2022 8:19:20 AM PST by dforest (Freaking insane world. )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What is the point of all this testing besides running up the numbers of reported cases? Several months ago I had mild cold symptoms. Just in case it was a serious problem I had myself tested and was positive. That was it, no treatment or follow-up, just go home.


4 posted on 01/21/2022 8:19:54 AM PST by GMMC0987
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
23% of Black families live in a household with more than four people

How many do not have a married father present?

5 posted on 01/21/2022 8:22:40 AM PST by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
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To: GMMC0987

Tests are just as useless as the vaccines. Glad you’re better.


6 posted on 01/21/2022 8:24:53 AM PST by sanjuanbob
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I heard the other day that if you live in an apartment building only the first one in your building to order them is successful. (each street address is allowed only 4 masks)


7 posted on 01/21/2022 8:26:35 AM PST by READINABLUESTATE ( ‘When tyranny becomes law, resistance becomes duty.’)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Since there are not any treatments, they should be called the ventilator test. If positive, head right to the hospital, and they will put you on the ventilator/hospice plan.


8 posted on 01/21/2022 8:28:09 AM PST by cp124 (Living under medical tyranny. )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

At least one school has already sent out notice that they can’t distribute COVID tests after all because the feds bought ‘em all from their supplier.

Socialism at work: to ensure everyone has fair equal access, gov’t buys up all* of them, then distributes them mostly to either people who don’t need them (yet, to ensure hoarding & having if needed) or to people who do need them with too-late delivery (wondering about symptoms? order test, get in 7-12 days, you’ll be over it or dead before it arrives). Few will be able to get tests when needed. To ensure equality, socialists ensure nobody* has what they need.

(* - sure it’s not 100%, but on the whole everyone gets equally screwed over.)


9 posted on 01/21/2022 8:29:28 AM PST by ctdonath2 (Statistics don't matter when they happen to you.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

poor people are on medicaid

insurance now has to pay for 8 tests a month per person

illegal immigrants get free health care in the emergency room

most people are covered.

not all..but most


10 posted on 01/21/2022 8:34:13 AM PST by RummyChick
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To: al baby

I actually have a friend who sent me a link to apply for the “free” tests and said, “Let’s stick it to Biden by getting these!” She’s a lovely lady, but this is as silly as it gets. She’s very Republican, but sometimes has no common sense.


11 posted on 01/21/2022 8:39:30 AM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

If those tests come over from China and get distributed to all the USPS offices and then distributed to ANYone who ordered them by next summer long after
Covid is a but memory It would be a surprise.

They’re not going to be delivered. Like son like father. He’s spoiled and he does what he wants to do. Everyone else has to deal with it.

He doesn’t want to deal with having promised like a sleazy senator 500,000,000 tests so he won’t. This is him kicking the prob over to someone else, then going back to doing what he feels like doing.

He is a spoiled child turned criminal with a lot of power and a lot of money. A lot.


12 posted on 01/21/2022 8:40:04 AM PST by stanne
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Since I’m not ordering any, someone else can have my share.


13 posted on 01/21/2022 8:40:31 AM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

This is part of the political theater, along with the free N95 masks that will soon be distributed as well as requesting hospitals to not report Wuflu deaths, so some time before the 2022 elections it can be claimed that the government has defeated the Wuflu.


14 posted on 01/21/2022 8:40:32 AM PST by beekay (Justice for Ashli Babbitt! Say her name.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Anything “medical” that arrives in the mail from the government is going right in the garbage! It won’t even make it in the house!


15 posted on 01/21/2022 8:50:30 AM PST by stylecouncilor (Mostly peaceful.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“But limiting households to just four tests favors well-heeled property owners over poor people and people of color...”


I really like the phrase ‘poor people and people of color’ as if wealthy ‘people of color’ are also at some sort of disadvantage. And there’s the implication that if you actually own a home that you live in, you are ‘well-heeled’.

Poor people of whatever color get the crappiest choices. That’s what being poor is all about.


16 posted on 01/21/2022 8:51:41 AM PST by hanamizu
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To: cp124
Why in God's name does anyone need a covid test? If you're sick with a fever, go to the doctor. If you're not sick, please go on about living your life.

This will eventually be the medical services plan in a single payer government run Healthcare world. There will be a dot.gov website to send you a test kit for flu, cancer, skin ailments, arthritis, BMI test, saliva swab, cell phone pics of nails or rashes, headache surveys, etc..... Then an algorithm based on your Xitizen profile will diagnose your ailment and ship you your .gov approved medication.

Stop it people! Stop demanding the rope to hang yourself with!

17 posted on 01/21/2022 8:56:59 AM PST by blackdog (# We Are Corn-Pop, turn off the news.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

There are other free ways to get tested if your family is larger than four. If you live by yourself, you have a jackpot to share with people you know. The beauty of an at home test is the Chinese don’t get your DNA info.


18 posted on 01/21/2022 8:58:46 AM PST by Savage Rider
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
four tests favors well-heeled property owners over poor people and people of colo...

Is the Sacramento Bee the satire site, or is it Babylon Bee?

Oh wait, they are all the same now.

19 posted on 01/21/2022 9:00:52 AM PST by C210N (Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.)
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To: beekay

This is puzzling. If the Biden administration declares victory over the ‘rona this summer or early fall then all the reasons for unsolicited mail-in ballots are gone. People in most states would have to give a reason they can’t vote in person to receive an absentee ballot.

So if Biden says the ‘rona is still around and killing all the unvaccinated and those without the fifth or sixth booster, then people will blame Democrats for economic hardships caused by covid restrictions. Therefore ballots must be mailed out willy-nilly.

Which one is it?


20 posted on 01/21/2022 9:02:48 AM PST by packagingguy
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