NBC Nightly News Spikes Biden Admin’s DISASTEROUS COVID Testing Failure

Due to the Biden Administration’s inability to obtain enough COVID testing units back in October, all of America is suffering from an unavailability of COVID tests. The evening news has allowed the public to forget that the recent Biden insurance mandate, which will cover COVID tests, is only going to lead to even more problems. 

Both ABC and CBS World News Tonight CBS Evening NewsIn the context of testing, he didn’t mention any Biden Administration. NBC Nightly NewsThe White House’s mandate was discussed for only 27 seconds. NBC completely ignored that the Biden administration failed to buy enough tests despite being warned of a winter of serious illness and death.  

Nightly News anchor Lester Holt only mentioned the Biden Administration’s new mandate at the tail end of the segment covering the spiking Omicron variant and the shortage of tests available when he asked NBC national correspondent Miguel Almaguer for clarification on the report that was just given: 

HOLT. Miguel, I’d like to return now to the testing question. The White House has announced that Americans who have insurance will not be required to purchase at-home testing kits. Was there anything else we have discovered?

ALMAGUER: Well, that’s right, Lester. The White House hopes to increase testing and says Americans who have private insurance will not need to purchase the over-the-counter COVID kits at home. Instead, customers will have the option to either reimburse or have their health plan pay upfront for this cost. This policy will be in effect within five days. Lester?

Meanwhile, over at Fox News Special ReportAnchor Bret Baier, White House correspondent Peter Doocy reported on a shocking report that the Biden Administration had not signed the contract for the 500 million COVID test that would be subsidized through private insurance. 

That announcement tonight from officials here is that soon insurance companies will have to pick up the cost of 8 COVID tests per person up to 32 per family of four. But, separately, officials here are announcing they still haven’t even signed the contract for all those 500 million free at-home tests that they have been promising for weeks. Which means that officials here missed the window to prepare for what they have been describing as a winter of severe illness and death. And instead, they are now preparing for a surge in the spring. 

This classic case of bias by omission was brought to you by Capital One and Progressive. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.  

To read the relevant transcripts click “expand”:

NBC Nightly News 

1/10/2022

7:01:43 PM

LESTER HOLT: Good evening. The numbers remain staggering tonight, stretching our patience and our capacity to fix all that COVID has broken. From the millions forced to isolate at home to the emergency rooms and ICUs desperately short on staff but filled with the sick, including the very young. We’ve learned that over the last week more than 580,000 child COVID cases were recorded, tripling the number of cases two weeks prior. The weekly average number of new COVID cases overall is close to 700,000. The good news is the number of deaths has been stable, but the strain and stress on our hospital remains critical as more breakthrough infections happen with timely testing remaining a problem. 

Also tonight an update on an Omicron-fighting vaccine that’s in the works. First Miguel Almaguer with late details.

MIGUEL ALMAGUER: Tonight a new vaccine that specifically targets Omicron may be just months away. But as new COVID cases explode, our nation is likely just weeks from reaching Omicron’s devastating peak, with nearly every state now a hot spot, the U.S. is closing in on 700,000 new cases a day, nearly triple last year’s surge. Pfizer’s new vaccine would target omicron and other variants already circulating.

ALBERT BOURLA (Pfizer CEO): This vaccine will be ready in March. I don’t know if we will need it. I don’t know if how it will be used. But will be ready.

ALMAGUER: In recent weeks, infections have exploded off the chart. Some five and a half million cases just this month. While most infections are mild and don’t require hospitalization, in areas first hard hit by Omicron, there’s now a dramatic fight in COVID-related fatalities.

JODI PARSONS (Western Reserve Hospital ICU Nurse): There has been more deaths that I’ve seen the whole time in just one week that I normally see in a month, let alone in a day.

ALMAGUER: First detected in the U.S. six weeks ago, Omicron is decimating the workforce and quickly spreading among children. In two weeks, cases nearly tripling with well over half a million kids infected in the first week of January. It comes amid a serious shortage of hospital staff.

DR. ROBERT WACHTER (University of California San Francisco Medicine Department Chair): We have hundreds of doctors and nurses now that have COVID and are isolating because of that. There are many hospitals in the country that are simply on their knees. They are overwhelmed.

ALMAGUER: As the CDC sets the stage for a fourth shot for the immunocompromised, demand for testing remains high. Lines snaking for miles through some residential neighborhoods. Los Angeles County just shattered a pandemic record. 45,000 new cases in a single day. Many of the sick are vaccinated, even boosted.

DR. CELINE GOUNDER: You get vaccinated. You get boosted so that you don’t end up in the hospital. You don’t end up in a ventilator and you don’t die from COVID.

HOLT: Miguel, if I can circle back now to this testing issue. Tonight the White House says Americans with insurance won’t need to pay for at-home testing kits. What else have we learned?

ALMAGUER: Well, that’s right, Lester. Hoping to expand testing, the White House says Americans with private health care insurance won’t need to pay for those over-the-counter at-home COVID test kits. Consumers will instead be able to have their health care plan cover the cost upfront or be reimbursed. That policy goes into effect in five days. Lester?

HOLT: Miguel Almaguer, thank you.

Fox News Special Report

1/10/2022

6:00:45 PM

BRET BAIER: Breaking tonight President Biden has just announced a new mandate requiring health insurance companies pick up the tab for at-home COVID tests. Private insurance would pick up 8 over-the-counter COVID tests per month starting at the end of the week. A family of four could get 32 free home COVID tests per month. The problem is at least right now, you can’t find the COVID tests for insurance to pick up. The administration promises they are coming. But this comes as there are increasing concerns about confusing pandemic messaging and the credibility of the policy coming from the White House and the Centers for Disease Control. We’ll talk live with former Assistant Health Secretary Admiral Brett Giroir in just a few minutes. But now we go to White House correspondent Peter Doocy live on the north lawn. Good evening, Peter.

PETER DOOCY: Good evening, Bret. Tonight’s announcement from the officials is that within a few days, insurance companies will be required to pay for COVID test costs. This includes 8 per individual and 32 per family. Separately, the officials are not yet able to sign the contract that will provide all 500 million of their free at-home testing. This is despite promises made for many weeks. Officials here have missed an opportunity to plan for the winter of death and severe illness they had been calling. They are instead preparing for the arrival of a spring surge. 

(…) 

6.03:43 pm

DOOCY: Officials at the White House know that numbers are on the rise.

JEN PSAKI, There was an unimaginable demand for test results.

DOOCY: When did officials realize that?

DOOCY: The president’s there on television talking about winter of severe illness and death. While he’s saying that publicly, why weren’t you guys doing more to prepare for the winter? 

PSAKI: Everyone decides where they’re going to go get a test. There are many options. 

DOOCY said that the tests were difficult to obtain. Some of what officials are saying is not in line with the reality that people are seeing across the country. And that’s even though President Biden has promised to always give it to you straight from the shoulder, the good, the bad, the truth because, when it comes to COVID, he hasn’t said anything since Friday. Bret?