Watch: Biden pledges 500M free COVID-19 tests to counter omicron

WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — With the omicron variant on the rise, President Joe Biden announced 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increasing support for hospitals under strain from the variant and an emphasis on vaccination and boosting efforts.In a speech Tuesday afternoon, Biden announced major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the arrival and rapid spread of the omicron variant, whose properties are yet not fully understood by scientists.