U.S. considers destroying $500 million COVID testing kits.

[speak easy]

U.S. weighs destroying $500 million in stockpiled covid tests

The government is reviewing proposals to shut down the program that ships free covid tests to American households and is considering destroying 160 million tests.

Internal documents show that officials in the Department of Health and Human Services have been considering two options: either disposing of or continuing to ship more than 160 million tests, valued at more than half a billion dollars. Only a small fraction of the tests are expired, according to the officials.

Documents also show that employees were asked Tuesday to identify initiatives, projects and webpages related to covid-19 as part of a process to comply with an executive order. President Donald Trump signed an order rescinding many of President Joe Biden’s executive orders, including some on the covid response and increasing the testing supply.

The officials, who shared details of the plans on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about them, did not know if a final decision had been made on what to do with the stockpile of tests maintained by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/02/18/trump-administration-covid-tests-stockpile/

[Meowmee]

1. Murderers continue to cover their past crimes

And can't stop murdering.

[kerouac2]

2. W.t.f.

Dispose of them?! You could at least sell them for a buck a piece. Awful.

[mr715]

3. How efficient

So glad government is using resources well.

[off-the-clock]

4. Anyone who is immunocompromised needs them

E.g. transplant recipients go through them quickly trying to keep infections at bay. Always good to have some tests around to check before visiting someone in weak health.

Which doesn't matter one farthing to those jerks running the federal government now. Wondering why they aren't trying to sell them would fit their greed profile better oh wait because having a test would actually help someone can't have that.

[Deuxcents]

5. Where's DOGE? Isn't finding Government waste their mission?

[Wiz Imp]

6. They already changed their mind. They aren't stopping the program

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-02-18/trump-administration-reverses-plan-to-shut-down-free-covid-test-program-washington-post-reports

Trump Administration Reverses Plan to Shut Down Free COVID Test Program, Washington Post Reports

The Trump administration has reversed a plan to shut down the government website that ships free COVID-19 tests to households, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

[B.See]

7. Maybe they "wised up" like they did when they

realized that sending layoff letters to employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration, ACTUALLY results in the layoff of people employed by the National Nuclear Security Administration... DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Wiz Imp]

8. Right. It would make no sense just to destroy them as long as they aren't expired.

People still need and use them. I needed one a couple weeks ago but have used up all my free ones so I ended up having to purchase a test from the store. Thankfully, it came back negative.

[B.See]

9. Well, wouldn't be the FIRST time TrAGA did something destructive that made no sense, would it?

[Wiz Imp]

10. Very True!!

[jeffreyi]

11. Sure. That's cost effective as hell.