United States President Joe Biden has reportedly purchased an additional 500 million COVID-19 tests kits as the country struggles to contain a wave of COVID-19 infections pushed by the omicron variant. The announcement was made on Thursday by Biden from the White House.

White House officials have said that the President will announce the dispatch of medical teams to at least six states to assist in the medical response.

Also Read: Explained: Where are the COVID-19 tests that Joe Biden promised?

The following medical centers and hospitals will be sent the military medical aid: Rhode Island Hospital (Providence), University of New Mexico Hospital (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Coney Island Hospital (Brooklyn, New York), Cleveland Clinic (Ohio), University Hospital in Newark (New Jersey) and Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, Michigan), according to reports from CNN.

The unnamed White House official said that the new COVID-19 test kits are being bought to fulfill any future demands that may arise. 

The purpose of the teams being deployed to various states across the country will be “providing relief, triaging patients, helping to decompress overwhelmed emergency departments, and freeing up health care providers to continue other lifesaving care”, the White House official said, according to reports from CNN.

The official added, “They will be working alongside health care workers on the front lines to give them the support they need.”

The news comes as the United States is facing turbulent times in managing the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Also Read: COVID-19: Can rapid at-home tests detect the omicron variant?

According to data released by the Department of Health and Human Services, over 150,000 Americans were admitted to the hospital after testing positive for the deadly virus.

The White House said that the trio — Biden, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and FEMA chief Deanne Criswell — would speak with federal personnel who are already on the ground in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences in handling the COVID surge.