The way the focus on free rapid tests has almost become totally divorced from any discussion of what might objectively be the most effective covid mitigation priorities at this point is really strange

Plentiful rapid tests in a world where 50% of adults don't care about covid, you don't need to test or vaxx to travel, restaurants are open, mass gatherings are being held, and there is no system of quarantine is not a covid mitigation strategy!

Peoples covid attitudes aren't evenly distributed through the population. Most of my peers here in yuppy DC do care about covid and take reasonable precautions. At the margin, testing helps my friends and my kids' classmates avoid covid.

I totally agree that plentiful rapid tests would really benefit people who are already well above average in terms of covid prudence, which is both why the criticism has gotten a lot of traction among our social set and also why it's not really a pandemic strategy

I think the reason people aren't discussing comprehensive covid mitigation strategies is that at this point it's crystal clear that half the country wouldn't participate, and that makes it impossible to succeed.