THE resumption of holiday travel coupled with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has left Americans scrambling to find at-home Covid-19 tests yesterday, leading major distributors to limit the number of kits per customer.

Amazon, as well as vendors on its platform, began limiting the number of tests per person yesterday.

Pharmaceutical chains CVS and Walgreens announced a maximum limit of six and four kits, respectively, per customer.

Walgreens said the decision comes after an “incredible demand for at-home rapid testing” strained its inventory, according to a press release.

It said it plans to “diligently work” with its suppliers to get more tests on its shelves, although it anticipates some stores may experience a temporary shortage.

“We ask our customers to please show patience and understanding as we continue to navigate the evolving pandemic environment,” said Walgreen president John Standley in the statement.

With a shortage of at-home tests, Americans are lining up across the country – sometimes waiting for hours – to get tested at a clinic or mobile-testing site.

In Washington, one centre said the number of tests it performs daily has quadrupled in the past two weeks.

According to health authorities, the fast-spreading Omicron variant is now the main Covid-19 strain in the United States, accounting for 73.2% of new cases over the week ending December 18.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced the purchase of 500 million rapid tests by the federal government. However, the additional tests are not expected to be available until next month. – AFP, December 23, 2021.