Coronavirus Watch: President Biden's new COVID preparedness plan

Following President Biden's first State of the Union address last night, his administration announced a new COVID-19 preparedness plan focused on treatments, vaccines and preparing for new variants, including a "test to treat" initiative to improve treatment access.

The priorities include offering more support to schools and businesses to remain open during outbreaks, combatting and preventing new viral variants, and providing high-risk Americans with better access to drugs that can prevent severe COVID-19.

Get the full rundown on the federal preparedness plan from reporter Karen Weintraub here.

It's Wednesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know for the middle of your week:

• The number of new global cases dropped by 16% last week, marking a month-long decrease in infections, according to figures from the WHO.
• The U.S. military is lifting its indoor mask requirement at the Pentagon after new guidance from the CDC and the White House that federal agencies can drop rules requiring employees and visitors to wear masks in federal buildings, according to Reuters.
• A new study from researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found 90% of patients who were referred for an ECMO machine but didn't receive it died in the hospital, despite being young with few other health issues.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 76% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 65% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, Paste BN digital editor fellow, @cady_stanton