Restarting our economy will require one thing above all else – testing. Testing to show who's currently infected. Testing to show who's had the virus and is immune. Social distancing won't end because it's Easter. It'll end when we have sufficient testing. Here’s how we do it.
Congress is about to finish its third coronavirus package. It’s not time for us to go home. It’s time for us to dramatically increase coronavirus testing capacity. I’ve outlined the steps to move us toward this long overdue goal. medium.com/@SenWarren/con…
Congress can put its foot down & force President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to develop tests, the raw materials needed for those tests, and the protective equipment necessary for health care professionals to administer them. @SenatorBaldwin’s bill would do just that.
Next, Congress can also help end the testing logjam by creating a dedicated test fund to issue guaranteed contracts with public & private manufacturers. And it should provide grants for cash-strapped public health labs & doctors’ offices to purchase test equipment.
Congress can also boost funding for the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to hire and train temporary workers to administer tests. There are tasks that don’t require medical degrees & plenty of people temporarily out of work who can receive on-the-job training.
Congress should require @HHSgov to report demographic info for people tested to make sure tests are being distributed equally. And manufacturers should have to report their test capacity & resources daily so our federal response is accurate & communities aren’t being left behind.
The Trump administration mishandled its coronavirus response, but our problems aren’t insurmountable. We need diagnostics. We need information. We need personnel. And we need Congress to step up and help provide them – right now.
