Reaction: Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, says the time is not right to shift responsibility for sites, especially those near emerging hot spots in Texas, to the states.
“Federally supported test sites are still critically necessary, and somewhere like Houston and Harris County, TX and at other critical points, they are needed now more than ever,” Becker said in an email. “This is not the time for the federal government to override previous commitments in the tests.”
HHS weighs: Coronavirus testing czar Brett Giroir says he has spoken to governors or their representatives in the five states that still have a federally supported testing site.
“We are transitioning 13 sites from the now outdated original program to more efficient and effective test sites,” Giroir said in an emailed statement. He argued that the government is still supporting increased testing capacity through a federal combined payment program for retail pharmacies establishing test sites.
Whats Next: HHS says that governors can use CARES funds to maintain operations at current federally supported testing sites.
