{"id":1114856,"date":"2021-12-13T14:14:33","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T19:14:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1114856"},"modified":"2021-12-13T14:14:35","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T19:14:35","slug":"massachusetts-set-to-distribute-2-million-at-home-covid-19-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massachusetts-set-to-distribute-2-million-at-home-covid-19-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts Set To Distribute 2 Million At-Home COVID-19 Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmassachusetts-set-to-distribute-2-million-at-home-covid-19-tests%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1114856&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced on Monday that the state will deliver 2.1 million at-home rapid COVID-19 tests to deliver to families across the state.<\/p>\n<p>Baker and Polito shared the information, along with Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, during a COVID-19 testing announcement on Monday that was <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wF98DI0UazA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">live-streamed<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, our administration announced that beginning this week, 2.1 million free rapid, at-home #COVID19MA test kits will be delivered by @MassEMA and @TheNationsFirst to more than 100 high-need Massachusetts communities,\u201d Baker tweeted.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Today, our administration announced that beginning this week, 2.1 million free rapid, at-home <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COVID19MA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#COVID19MA<\/a> test kits will be delivered by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MassEMA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MassEMA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheNationsFirst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TheNationsFirst<\/a> to more than 100 high-need Massachusetts communities.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more \u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fDG0sEp05m\">https:\/\/t.co\/fDG0sEp05m<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zkBHTFpKQ4\">pic.twitter.com\/zkBHTFpKQ4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MassGovernor\/status\/1470446266094178311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 13, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the holidays approaching, we encourage residents to utilize rapid tests as a convenient way to keep family members and friends safe at gatherings,\u201d Baker also shared in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/news\/baker-polito-administration-announces-21-million-at-home-covid-tests-for-102-high-need-communities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> from the governor\u2019s office website.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile these tests are widely available at many pharmacies and retail locations across the Commonwealth, we are making it even easier for residents to get free rapid testing through these initiatives,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Polito also commented on the state\u2019s \u201cnation-leading\u201d move.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMassachusetts has developed a nation-leading testing infrastructure, with free testing available across the Commonwealth,\u201d&nbsp;Polito said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIncreasing access to these free OTC rapid antigen test kits will serve as another tool to combat COVID-19,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>The statement explained that \u201cthe initial 2.1 million OTC rapid antigen tests will be distributed to 102 high-need communities across the Commonwealth.\u201d The state also plans to allow communities to directly purchase tests at negotiated prices.<\/p>\n<p>According to the statement:<\/p>\n<p><em>The Commonwealth is paying $5 per test. All tests come in packs of two. The tests can be completed in 15 minutes without the need to send a sample to a laboratory; a mobile phone or computer is not needed for any part of the test. Individuals 2 years of age and up can use the tests regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The state has sought to increase testing after a September controversy with the state\u2019s police union. Dozens of state troopers reportedly resigned over the state\u2019s vaccine mandate for state employees. The Daily Wire previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/massachusetts-police-union-says-dozens-of-troopers-have-quit-over-vaccine-mandate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><em>The State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) filed a lawsuit to delay Republican Governor Charlie Baker\u2019s vaccine mandate earlier this month, arguing that the October 17 deadline would cause \u201cirreparable harm\u201d to officers. The union asked for more time to \u201cnegotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>However, a judge in the Massachusetts Superior Court turned down the union\u2019s request on Thursday.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cSpecifically, the public interest is, unquestionably, best served by stopping the spread of the virus, in order to protect people from becoming ill, ensure adequate supply of medical services, and curtail the emergence of new, deadlier variants of the virus,\u201d Judge Jackie Cowin said in her decision.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The union\u2019s president, Michael Cherven, responded to the decision on Friday with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/msptrooper.org\/state-police-assoc-of-massachusetts-spam-statement-on-judges-ruling-and-governor-bakers-vaccine-mandate\/\">statement<\/a>&nbsp;saying it was \u201cunfortunate that the Governor and his team have chosen to mandate one of the most stringent vaccine mandates in the country with no reasonable alternatives.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is fighting Joe Biden\u2019s vaccine mandate in federal court.&nbsp;Join us in this fight by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/dailywire.com\/donotcomply\">signing our petition<\/a>&nbsp;to OSHA, telling them that you will not comply with this mandate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">member<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced on Monday that the state will deliver 2.1 million at-home rapid COVID-19 tests to deliver to families across the state.Baker and Polito shared the information, along with Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, during a COVID-19 testing announcement on Monday that was live-streamed:\u201cToday, our administration announced that beginning this week, 2.1 million free rapid, at-home #COVID19MA test kits will be delivered by @MassEMA and @TheNationsFirst to more than 100 high-need Massachusetts communities,\u201d Baker tweeted.Today, our administration announced that beginning this week, 2.1 million free rapid, at-home #COVID19MA test kits will be delivered by @MassEMA and @TheNationsFirst to more than 100 high-need Massachusetts communities.Learn more \u27a1\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/fDG0sEp05m pic.twitter.com\/zkBHTFpKQ4\u2014 Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) December 13, 2021\u201cWith the holidays approaching, we encourage residents to utilize rapid tests as a convenient way to keep family members and friends safe at gatherings,\u201d Baker also shared in a statement from the governor\u2019s office website.\u201cWhile these tests are widely available at many pharmacies and retail locations across the Commonwealth, we are making it even easier for residents to get free rapid testing through these initiatives,\u201d he added.Polito also commented on the state\u2019s \u201cnation-leading\u201d move.\u201cMassachusetts has developed a nation-leading testing infrastructure, with free testing available across the Commonwealth,\u201d\u00a0Polito said.\u201cIncreasing access to these free OTC rapid antigen test kits will serve as another tool to combat COVID-19,\u201d she added.The statement explained that \u201cthe initial 2.1 million OTC rapid antigen tests will be distributed to 102 high-need communities across the Commonwealth.\u201d The state also plans to allow communities to directly purchase tests at negotiated prices.According to the statement:The Commonwealth is paying $5 per test. All tests come in packs of two. The tests can be completed in 15 minutes without the need to send a sample to a laboratory; a mobile phone or computer is not needed for any part of the test. Individuals 2 years of age and up can use the tests regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms.The state has sought to increase testing after a September controversy with the state\u2019s police union. Dozens of state troopers reportedly resigned over the state\u2019s vaccine mandate for state employees. The Daily Wire previously reported:The State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) filed a lawsuit to delay Republican Governor Charlie Baker\u2019s vaccine mandate earlier this month, arguing that the October 17 deadline would cause \u201cirreparable harm\u201d to officers. The union asked for more time to \u201cnegotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.\u201dHowever, a judge in the Massachusetts Superior Court turned down the union\u2019s request on Thursday.\u201cSpecifically, the public interest is, unquestionably, best served by stopping the spread of the virus, in order to protect people from becoming ill, ensure adequate supply of medical services, and curtail the emergence of new, deadlier variants of the virus,\u201d Judge Jackie Cowin said in her decision.The union\u2019s president, Michael Cherven, responded to the decision on Friday with a\u00a0statement\u00a0saying it was \u201cunfortunate that the Governor and his team have chosen to mandate one of the most stringent vaccine mandates in the country with no reasonable alternatives.\u201dThe Daily Wire is fighting Joe Biden\u2019s vaccine mandate in federal court.\u00a0Join us in this fight by\u00a0signing our petition\u00a0to OSHA, telling them that you will not comply with this mandate.The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":325,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1114856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/325"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1114856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1114856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1114856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1114856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}