?Nothing?s been good enough?: Biden addresses US Covid testing shortage before holidays

Pressed about US testing shortages amid the omicron surge, Biden conceded in an interview that "nothing's been good enough".

In an interview with ABC's David Muir on Wednesday, the president signaled that the country was in a better shape now than last Christmas but said he wished he had ordered free at-home tests earlier than this week. A surging demand for tests, driven by the new variant and the winter holidays, has led to long lines and shortages around the country.

Meanwhile, hospitals in many parts of the US are once again strained or struggling as Covid patients crowd emergency rooms and intensive care units.

"No, nothing's been good enough," said Biden. "I wish I had thought about ordering" the 500m at-home tests two months ago, the president later added.

The interview comes on the heels of Biden's announcement of a plan to send half a billion at-home coronavirus test kits to Americans. The president has also instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess and expand hospital bed capacity in anticipation of a winter surge.

However, the president reiterated that he would not be requiring travelers to be vaccinated before getting on flights to the US, nor was he considering vaccine requirements for domestic air travelers. As he did at the White House on Tuesday, the president emphasized that 200 million residents have already been vaccinated.

Early studies suggest that vaccinated people will need a booster shot to avoid contracting the Omicron variant.