/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1210379332/0x0.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,0&ssl=1 "Birx: ‘We Will Double The Number Of Tests For All Americans’")
TOPLINE
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the federal government is partnering with states and labs to double the capacity of COVID-19 testing across the nation; the latest in the tense discussion of federal-state economic reopening.
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 18: U.S. President Donald Trump listens as White House coronavirus response … [+]
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
KEY FACTS
In a Sunday morning interview on ABC’s “This Week” Birx said the White House is working to expand COVID-19 lab testing “in deep partnership” with governors and lab directors, expecting to “double the number of tests for all Americans.”
The White House plans to ensure states have everything they need to turn on “full capacity” with a team calling “every single laboratory” to work with every state to double testing efforts.
On Saturday night President Trump said that the governors “don’t want to use all of the [testing] capacity that [the White House] created,” and thus, the testing shortages are the states’ fault.
When asked about claims of a national test shortage, Birx said: “What we don’t have right now is complete reporting,” adding that there are between 30,000 to 50,000 additional tests that aren’t being reported.
On Sunday morning Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam decried test shortages in their states; “[To] say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, that somehow we aren’t doing our job, is just absolutely false,” said Hogan on CNN.
Birx also addressed protesters fighting for economic reopening, saying that states need to be responsible for educating their communities.
KEY BACKGROUND
Lack of testing has been cited by governors across the nation—and across party lines—as a major issue in combating coronavirus to reach economic reopening. On Friday, Trump said he ordered 5 million additional tests for states. The Washington Post revealed Saturday that contamination at the CDC critically delayed the initial rollout of COVID-19 tests.
Experts say widespread and rapid testing is key to reopening the economy and keeping essential workers healthy, as it would continually ensure healthy individuals are able to work and live in the public sphere while simultaneously identifying COVID-19 positive individuals at the onset of the disease who need to be in isolation.
FURTHER READING
Coronavirus testing only part of the solution to reopen US: Dr. Deborah Birx (ABC)
Without More Tests, America Can’t Reopen (The Atlantic)
Trump and governors are on a collision course over coronavirus testing (CNN)
Contamination at CDC lab delayed rollout of coronavirus tests (Washington Post)
/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/1210379332/0x0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=Birx%3A+%E2%80%98We+Will+Double+The+Number+Of+Tests+For+All+Americans%E2%80%99){kind=link}