By Alexander Nazaryan
March 12, 2020 "Information
Clearing House" -
WASHINGTON — Despite
insistent promises from the Trump administration,
coronavirus testing in the United States appears to
be proceeding with a marked lack of urgency. An
examination of state and federal records by Yahoo
News finds that American states are, on average,
testing fewer than 100 people per day — while the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had
tested fewer than 100 people total in the first two
days of this week.
Meanwhile, a single private lab is performing
tests, according to a trade group representing such
facilities. The administration has repeatedly said
that private enterprise would play a critical role
in making sure that all Americans who need a
coronavirus test receive one.
U.S. officials on Tuesday were faced with an
onslaught of questions from members of Congress,
amid reports of South Korea’s drive-through
coronavirus testing locations.
“This is not a problem we can test our way out
of,” said Stephen Redd, MD, head of the CDC’s Office
of Public Health Preparedness and Response, in
testimony on Wednesday. It was an admission that, in
a nation of 320 million, testing every person will
be impossible.