US diverts COVID-19 funds to secure vaccines amid stalemate

By ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than $10 billion in coronavirus relief funds is being diverted from orders of at-home rapid tests and other pandemic-related efforts. The White House on Wednesday blamed the move on a funding crunch and said it’s trying to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans. The Biden administration has been warning for months of the potential for rationing and other tough trade-offs if Congress doesn’t act. Negotiations for more funding broke down earlier this year over President Joe Biden’s plans to end pandemic-related public health restrictions on U.S. borders that severely curtailed migration.