In At Least A Dozen States, Testing Woes Reappear With A Vengeance
Issues like longer wait times and supply shortages are becoming apparent in many areas. In related news: Wyoming will test all prisoners for COVID-19.
ABC News:
13 States Now Report Coronavirus Testing Issues, In Echo Of Early Troubles
As coronavirus cases surge in much of the country, issues with testing availability and access have once again arisen in nearly every aspect of the testing supply chain, local officials and hospital leaders in several states told ABC News — a troubling echo of the shortages that plagued the nation's initial response to the virus months ago. Testing issues have manifested differently in different parts of the country, from states in the midst of a renewed battle against COVID-19 and those who still fear one might be coming, officials said. (Kim, Rubin and Dukakis, 7/10)
The Hill:
Wyoming To Test All Inmates, Corrections Officials For Coronavirus
Wyoming will test all inmates and employees at its five correctional facilities next week, the state Department of Corrections announced Wednesday. On Monday Wyoming will start a one-time testing of all inmates and employees at the state's five correctional institutions in rotation. Wyoming Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert said in a statement that once the state’s baseline is established, the corrections department will institute “ongoing surveillance testing” in the manner as done in nursing homes to maintain “the safest possible living and work environment.” (Klar, 7/9)
Kaiser Health News:
As COVID Testing Soars, Wait Times For Results Jump To A Week — Or More
While hospital patients can get the findings back within a day, people getting tested at urgent care centers, community health centers, pharmacies and government-run drive-thru or walk-up sites are often waiting a week or more. In the spring, it was generally three or four days. The problems mean patients and their physicians don’t have information necessary to know whether to change their behavior. Health experts advise people to act as if they have COVID-19 while waiting — meaning to self-quarantine and limit exposure to others. But they acknowledge that’s not realistic if people have to wait a week or more. (Galewitz, 7/9)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration’s Approach To Testing Is Chaotic And Unhelpful, States Say
The Trump administration’s erratic approach to testing for the novel coronavirus has left state leaders and commercial laboratories confused, frustrated and unprepared for the fall, Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions found in a report released Thursday. (Weiner, 7/9)
San Jose Mercury News:
As California Tops 300,000 Coronavirus Cases, Testing Efforts Hampered
Public health officials and politicians repeatedly have touted widespread coronavirus testing as a key piece of containing the deadly pandemic and allowing Californians to get back to school, work, shopping and socializing. But as California topped 300,000 cases on Thursday and reached records for average daily infections and deaths, an effort to dramatically expand the scope of testing appears to be cracking at the seams — hampered by supply shortages, mixed messaging, delayed testing results and a rash of new outbreaks. (Deruy, Kelliher and Wu, 7/9)
Also —
WBUR:
How 2 Hard-Hit New England Cities Slowed Coronavirus Infections
Chelsea has the highest coronavirus infection rate in Massachusetts and among the highest in the country. While the city has seen a marked drop in new, daily positive cases, the rolling average is still about four times higher than the state as a whole. On Friday, the Baker administration launched an expanded testing program in Chelsea and seven other hard hit communities to try and stop the spread. (Bebinger, 7/10)
