canceled today alone. the current seven-day average of cases is above 120,000 with an average of about 1,180 deaths per day. and new video just in of new yorkers lining up today on christmas day to get a covid test. this is a scene that s playing out across the country, and it s been doing this for days. to help make the process more efficient and accessible, the white house is planning to distribute 500 million at home covid testing kits. also this week, the fda authorized a second at home drug to help treat covid. the pill made by merck is a five-day course for people 18 and older who are at high risk of severe covid. with me right now is dr. uche blackstock, an msnbc medical contributor and the founder of ceo of advancing health equity. thanks for taking time away from your family to chat with us for a few minutes. following up on this merck pill, tom kraus with the american society of health system pharmacists told the washington post at the end of the day omicron is racing acros