The Latest on COVID-19

• Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has announced that his state will distribute an additional 500,000 COVID-19 rapid tests. About 350,000 will be handed out by cities and towns while the other 150,000 will be distributed by community organizations.
• Officials in Sweden have decided against recommending COVID-19 vaccines for children from 5 to 11 years old. Health Agency authorities have argued that the benefits didn’t outweigh the risks.
• CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday that even though COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant are considered “milder,” that doesn’t mean that the illnesses are necessarily “mild.”