WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday formally began allowing Americans who had ordered free coronavirus tests this winter to request a second round of four tests per household, through the same U.S. Postal Service program that President Biden unveiled in January.

The move, which Mr. Biden had promised last week during his State of the Union address, followed a crush of interest in the program when it debuted in January. At the time, case rates had skyrocketed because of the Omicron variant and tens of millions of households scrambled to obtain the free tests.

Top lawmakers reach deal on Ukraine aid, $1.5T spending WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year. AP NEWS

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Covid will 'probably' be a seasonal virus, like the flu, CDC director says CDC Director Walensky says that Covid could act the flu, with cases increasing seasonally, as a part of the new normal. YahooNews

Even as cases of Covid-19 continue to fall nationwide, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the coronavirus is most likely here to stay — and that it could behave similarly to influenza.

COVID-19 cases, deaths continue to drop globally, WHO says LONDON (AP) — The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths globally have continued to fall in the past week, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, with only the Western Pacific reporting an increase in COVID-19. AP NEWS

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Federal courts relax COVID-19 mask requirements A growing number of federal district courts from coast to coast are easing requirements for lawyers, staff and visitors to wear masks when entering their courthouses amid a nationwide decline in COVID-19 cases. Nate Raymond Reuters

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6 Months of U.S. Data Support Safety of mRNA COVID Vaccines CDC reports find that most AEs were minor, transient, and few patients sought medical care Molly Walker medpagetoday

Nearly all local and systemic adverse events (AEs) reported after Pfizer or Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines were mild and transient, and only a fraction of individuals reported seeking medical care, according to data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and CDC's v-safe tracker.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Reuters Reuters

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China says Hong Kong must stick to "dynamic zero" COVID strategy

Mask mandates go away in schools, but parent worries persist BOSTON (AP) — Major school districts around the country are allowing students into classrooms without masks for the first time in nearly two years, eliminating rules that stirred up intense fights among educators, school boards and parents throughout the pandemic. AP NEWS

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