Vice President Mike Pence announced recently that more than 2,000 labs across the country will begin processing coronavirus tests for the upcoming week.
What We Know:
- Pence revealed information regarding the national testing at a Sunday afternoon White House press briefing.
- According to the vice president, the new testing capability came to fruition after President Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal public health services have taken more serious matters and “reached out to all 50 states to create a process that will enable all Americans who need to be tested to go to a community-based testing site outside of usual health facilities,” Pence said.
- US Assistant Health Secretary Brett Giroir, who was also present at Sunday’s briefing, stated that the US will have 1.9 million testing kits available this week under the new plan to prevent additional spreading of the virus.
- “That is a real game changer for us,” Giroir stated in reagrds to the increased number of testing labs.
According to officials, priority will be given to elderly people over 65 with underlying health conditions and first responders.
