(Washington) Several major distributors of rapid test tests in the United States this week limited their sales to a few units per customer in the face of immense demand from the Americans, a few days before Christmas and in the midst of the spread of the now dominant Omicron variant.
Amazon and drugstore chains CVS and Walgreens said Tuesday and Wednesday that they had capped sales at 10, six or four rapid test kits (also known as self-tests) – to be performed at home and at home – per buyer, respectively.
A decision made “because of the incredible demand,” Walgreens said in a statement.
This limit should “help manage inventory,” said the company, one of the largest drugstore chains in the country, “while we are actively working with our suppliers to meet consumer demand.”
Faced with a shortage of tests at some pharmacies, thousands of Americans are lining up outside, sometimes for hours, to be tested in mobile centers in major cities across the country.
In the capital Washington, a center has thus multiplied by more than 4 the number of tests carried out daily in two weeks.
According to US health authorities, the much more transmissible Omicron variant has become the vast majority in the United States, accounting for 73.2% of new COVID-19 infections during the week ending December 18.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced the government’s purchase of 500 million rapid tests. They can be ordered online from January.