The Biden administration says a possible coronavirus wave
this fall could infect 100 million people.
Officials say the projection is based on an underlying
assumption of no additional resources or extra mitigation measures being taken.
That includes no new COVID-19 funding from Congress, and the possibility of new
variants.
It comes as officials renew their push to get Congress to
approve additional funding to combat the virus. The Biden administration
requested $22.5 billion in supplemental COVID-19 relief funding in March, but
it was stripped from the bill.
That request included funding for testing, treatments,
therapeutics, and preventing future outbreaks.
Officials have argued that without new funding, the U.S.
could be left unprepared for future waves as the nation approaches a
coronavirus death toll of 1 million.
The projection was made Friday by a senior administration
official. It was first reported by
The Washington Post.