White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told CBS’ Face The Nation on Sunday that she is “very much focused” on Massachusetts and specifically Boston as they see a spike of cases. The state is in the midst of a coronavirus surge. On Saturday, Massachusetts reported 1,970 more cases and 156 additional deaths, bringing the state’s total to 36,372 total cases and 1,560 deaths.
With the growing number of coronavirus cases around the world, more facilities have transformed into COVID-19 testing sites, from drive-through test locations to medical centers set up for the task at hand. However, getting a test isn't as simple as just showing up at a testing site. If you do, there's a good chance you'll be turned away, at least for now; the situation is rapidly changing as more test kits are being made and deployed.
Texas health officials announced Thursday they have requested federal funds to expand coverage for coronavirus testing for the uninsured. Congress voted last month to make temporary funding available to pay states’ full costs for providing testing to people who lack health insurance, but states had to opt into it.
McCormick Place got its first COVID-19 patients this week as health care professionals begin trying out the hastily built medical center. Patients started arriving Tuesday afternoon, and five were there Friday, officials said.
Six weeks after long-term care facilities first emerged as a deadly front of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington state says it’s now aiming for widespread testing in the facilities.
The failure by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly produce a test kit for detecting the novel coronavirus was triggered by a glaring scientific breakdown at the CDC’s central laboratory complex in Atlanta, according to scientists with knowledge of the matter and a determination by federal regulators.