The White House has been reluctant to declare the end of the pandemic — especially after optimism last summer about "independence" from the virus was made moot by the Delta and Omicron variants. But officials have pointed to vaccine and test availability — and hope that revised CDC guidance and a new plan could ease political pressure for a path out of the pandemic. The plan will include streamlined “test-to-treat” programs at pharmacies and other health entities, which would antiviral drugs to people who test positive as the availability of those treatments increase.

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