Testing mandates strain US supply of rapid COVID-19 tests

An order from President Joe Biden for most large U.S. companies to mandate workers either get vaccinated or get weekly tests is putting a strain on the country’s supply of rapid COVID-19 tests, according to The Wall Street Journal

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The Mercer consulting group told the Journal that a number of employers have had to find alternative suppliers for tests in recent weeks because they haven’t been able to secure bulk orders as demand increases. 

“We have clinical vendors who can’t fill current orders with current clients,” Sandy Goldstein, a consultant at the firm, told the Journal.

CVS and Walgreens have both put limits on the number of at-home tests customers can purchase. 

A Walgreens spokesperson told the Journal the company is working with test manufacturers to keep up with demand for workplace testing and that the company is filling bulk orders for tests “based on supply and availability.” 

CVS declined to comment to the Journal about the availability of tests for employers. 

Mara Aspinall, co-founder of a diagnostics program at Arizona State University, told the Journal “We do not have enough capacity and supply of rapid antigen tests to meet the onslaught of demand.” 

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