1,000+ troops to help vaccine distribution; at-home test surge coming; Johnson & Johnson applies for authorization. Latest COVID-19 updates. Elinor Aspegren and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY How viruses like COVID-19 mutate, and how they impact vaccine development Replay Video UP NEXT More than 1,000 active duty troops will begin supporting vaccination sites around the United States, starting later this month in California, White House senior COVID-19 advisor Andy Slavitt announced Friday. Slavitt said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin OK'ed the move and troops' mission in California would being within 10 days. The White House COVID-19 Response Team also announced Friday that the government would be supporting six additional companies to surge at-home COVID-19 test supplies to more than 60 million by the end of summer.