White House launches ‘one-stop shop’ for COVID information. What to know about website

The White House on Wednesday, March 30, launched a “one-stop shop” website where people in the United States can keep up with COVID-19 developments and access resources for tests, vaccines, masks and treatment.

Now, you can visit COVID.gov “with a click of a button” and get connected to information related to the virus in one place, the White House said in a fact sheet. The site includes a new Test-to-Treat locator, which helps people find testing centers and treatment. The White House called it “easy-to-use.”

“Because of the lifesaving tools we now have, America is in a new moment in the pandemic,” the White House said.

A visit to the site shows a large search bar that can be used to find the COVID-19 guidance for one’s county based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Below the search bar are additional COVID-19 information and tools.

The site’s launch comes after President Joe Biden’s administration launched Vaccines.gov in 2021 and COVIDTests.gov in January. The new platform lets people access both resources in one spot.

The new website can be accessed in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and with assistive technologies, according to the Biden administration. Additionally, the resources are available over the phone by calling the National Hotline at 1-800-232-0233. Those with disabilities can also call the Disability Information and Access Line at 1-888-677-1199.

The new Test-to-Treat locator tool provides people “for the first time” with information on where they can get treated for COVID-19, according to the White House. People can get oral antiviral treatments “if appropriate for them,” meaning they tested positive and are at risk for developing severe COVID-19.

Those who may be at higher risk for getting a serious COVID-19 infection include adults 65 and older, pregnant people and those with underlying health conditions such as obesity, lung disease, heart disease and cancer, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“There are now over 2,000 Test-to-Treat locations nationwide, including in pharmacy-based clinics, federally-qualified community health centers (FQHCs), and long-term care facilities,” the White House said.

The launch of the White House’s website was accompanied by a call on Congress to immediately provide funding for COVID-19 related measures. This includes $22.5 billion in emergency funds.

“The Administration continues to urge Congress to act quickly, as the consequences will continue to get worse in the coming weeks.”

It also comes after the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of a second COVID-19 booster shot for adults 50 and older, McClatchy News reported. Certain immunocompromised individuals are also eligible for their fourth shot.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are on the decline as of March 23 — with the omicron variant and its subvariants continuing to dominate cases, according to the CDC. The omicron BA.2 subvariant, also known as “stealth omicron,” has surpassed the original omicron strain, BA.1, as the most dominant in the U.S., the CDC estimates.

This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 10:16 AM with the headline "White House launches ‘one-stop shop’ for COVID information. What to know about website."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.