COVID-19: US to double order of Pfizer treatment courses, says Biden

To decrease hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, the US administration is going to double its order of Pfizer treatment courses, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (local time).

"Today, I am directing my team to work with Pfizer to double our order from 10 million to 20 million treatment courses to be delivered in the months ahead," Biden said during the meeting with members of the White House COVID-19 response team, Sputnik News Agency reported.

This move will allow to dramatically decrease hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, he added.

Biden also warned that the coming weeks will be challenging, but the US has tools to combat the pandemic.

Pfizer announced earlier on Tuesday (local time) that the US government has committed to purchasing an additional 10 million treatment courses of its COVID-19 oral therapy named PAXLOVID, as per Sputnik.

The President also said that he believed that school should remain open.

"Look, we have no reason to think at this point that Omicron is worse for children than previous variants," Biden told a White House media briefing. "We know that our kids can be safe when in school. By the way, that's why I believe school should remain open," Sputnik reported.

( With inputs from ANI )

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