Three Things for January 19
1. Biden administration launches COVID-19 test request website
On Tuesday, the Biden administration soft-launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests.
On Jan. 19, the site officially launched online.
According to AP News, the official site allows Americans to access a COVID-19 test via USPS. Individuals may order up to four at-home tests per address. The website is currently in beta testing and operating at a limited capacity.
Only a small percentage of orders from the website encountered errors within isolated reports of the website’s address verification tool, which enforces the four per household rule, according to AP News.
“At points Tuesday more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed,” AP News reports.
According to the White House, tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering through USPS.
2. AT&T, Verizon pause 5G rollout near US airports to avoid flight disruptions
On Tuesday, Jan. 18, AT&T and Verizon Communications agreed to temporarily shut down select wireless towers near busy airports to prevent significant disruption to U.S. flights.
This is the third time AT&T and Verizon have delayed deployment of the new C-Band 5G wireless service.
“This agreement will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery while allowing more than 90% of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled,” said President Joe Biden.
Verizon will temporarily turn off approximately 500 towers near airports as they develop a permanent solution.
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that 5G wireless interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as radio altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations,” reports Reuters.
Verizon and AT&T will launch 5G on Jan. 19.
3. COVID-19 surge in California causes staffing and efficiency issues
According to the LA Times, 28 patients camped out for hours and even days in the emergency room of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center waiting for admission.
“With more than 100 COVID-19-positive patients in the hospital, there weren’t enough in-patient beds to put them in, “ reports the LA Times.
Within the fourth-floor intensive care unit, nurses had to tend to three COVID-19 patients instead of their usual two. Additionally, COVID cases within the hospital staff created scheduling issues.
“The hospital COVID census in San Bernardino County has nearly tripled from 398 before Christmas to 1,107 as of Jan. 13, according to county data,” reports the LA Times. “At the peak in January 2021, when the virus caused deaths to skyrocket, that number stood at 1,785.”
Due to staffing shortages, health officials were forced to ask asymptomatic COVID-positive employees to return to work.
