Duckworth to HHS: Implement Policies to Dramatically Improve Diagnostic Testing Procedures, Capabilities and Capacity to Mitigate Impact of COVID-19 I

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging the agency take immediate action to establish clear diagnostic testing procedures and to rapidly expand the distribution of testing kits for the highly contagious coronavirus 2 (COVID-19). Duckworth also requested transparency in reporting progress, with the goal of being prepared to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks in any state or territory.

“The community spread of the highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) is a significant and growing public health threat,” Duckworth wrote. “As our nation transitions in responding to this disease pandemic from the containment phase to mitigating the impact of COVID-19 infections in the United States, it is critical that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dramatically increase its efforts to improve COVID-19 diagnostic testing procedures, capabilities and capacity.”

“Americans are rightfully confused and frustrated over the federal government’s inability to effectively and efficiently test a mere 450 people, with confirmation taking days, when other countries are now testing tens of thousands of people by the day,” Duckworth continued. “The World Health Organization (WHO) developed testing capabilities for COVID-19 and issued guidance on how to manufacture and properly use the COVID-19 tests in January 2020. As of last week, the WHO had shipped testing kits to 57 counties around the world. The Trump administration, for reasons still unknown, declined to follow WHO guidance and delayed providing emergency authority to authorize State and local laboratories to develop ‘laboratory-developed tests’ based on existing CDC and WHO primers and protocols.”

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