Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Wednesday that President Biden’s effort to send 500 million coronavirus rapid tests to Americans was diverting orders already placed for such tests by Maryland and other states.

       Wp Get the full experience.Choose your plan ArrowRight

       During a news conference after his annual-budget announcement, Hogan said Maryland had ordered millions of rapid tests and was expecting “a huge shipment” this week. But, he said, “all of our vendors called us late Friday to say that the White House’s announcement on Friday had frozen all the orders and that they were taking all of the tests that were going to go to us and the other states.”

       White House officials rejected Hogan’s assertion Wednesday, saying that its testing contracts expressly prohibit the companies from taking tests away from state and local governments.

       Biden announces purchase of 500 million coronavirus tests

       On Tuesday, the Biden administration rolled out a federal website through which each U.S. household can order up to four free coronavirus rapid tests. The tests are expected to ship through the U.S. Postal Service within 7 to 12 days of order placement.

       Advertisement

       Story continues below advertisement

       Hogan said he and other governors expressed their supply concerns in a call with the White House on Tuesday. The Biden administration’s plan to mail tests, Hogan said, didn’t produce any new tests. “They just took all the tests off the shelf that we were supposed to get on trucks to come here,” he said.

       But White House officials rebutted those claims.

       The federal program to distribute the tests “is specifically not allowed, by contract, to take away tests from state governments or U.S. commercial operations," Tom Inglesby, senior adviser to the White House covid-19 response team, said in a call with reporters. “By contract, that program cannot interfere with state, local or U.S. commercial operations.”

       White House to distribute 400 million free N95 masks starting next week

       Inglesby said that the stipulation was conveyed to the governors, including Hogan, during their call Tuesday. Neither D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) nor Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) have said that the administration’s test distribution plan has affected their supplies.

       Advertisement

       Story continues below advertisement

       “We have followed up with Governor Hogan’s team to try to understand exactly what they’re hearing and to help work out anything they’re seeing on the ground,” Inglesby said, “because we will clarify with any manufacturer that is saying the federal government [is] blocking, that they have an obligation to fulfill the orders to states.”

       Michael Ricci, a spokesman for Hogan, said the state’s health procurement officer told the governor Friday that pending orders with Abbott, iHealth and AccessBio Carestart would be affected by the federal announcement.

       “We relayed those details to the White House yesterday,” Ricci said in an email. “Mr. Inglesby responded and said he would look into it and get back to us, and we are still waiting to hear back from him.”

       D.C. opens covid centers, Montgomery County considers vaccine passport

       Senior White House officials on the covid-19 response team reiterated Wednesday evening that they had been in contact with Hogan’s team regarding his concerns.

       Advertisement

       Story continues below advertisement

       Spokespeople for Abbott, iHealth and AccessBio Carestart did not immediately respond to requests for comment about what they had communicated to Maryland officials.

       While leaders debated the rapid-test distribution issues, the number of new coronavirus cases continued to fall across the District, Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, 4,040 new cases were reported Wednesday, dropping its seven-day average by 39 percent compared with one week ago. The District reported 480 new cases, and the city’s seven-day average of new cases has declined 38 percent from a week ago. Virginia reported 12,480 new cases, bringing its seven-day average down 18 percent.

       Where to get a coronavirus test in the D.C. area

       Still, the case numbers remain high and continue to strain area resources. More than 2,459,000 cases have been reported in the District, Maryland and Virginia since the pandemic began, according to state data. More than 29,000 people in the region have died of covid-19.

       Jacqueline Dupree contributed to this report.