LyrArc Article Gist
On March 20, reports show that the testing facilities in states in the U.S. have had to set priorities on who gets tested first. High risk areas identified by authorites come first. For this reason Corlado health authorites moved a test centrer in Denver to Telluride a ski community that has been hard hit. In Minnesota health department commissioner identified priorities and limited testing to health care workers, inpatients at hospitals and people in group living facilities.

A backlog means tests can take 5 days in Colorado, and Colorado has capacity for 250 tests a day (March 20).

Testing was centred first by the U.S. government at the Centre for Disease Control. On reconsideration the state and local authorites, private companies, were allowed to conduct the tests, to speed things up. But local areas in many cases lack supplies or enough test kits and protective gear that is needed.

This WSJ report says that the Trump administration is also shifting their strategy to social distancing to contain the outbreak. The federal government says it is aware of shortages in chemicals used in the tests.

New York City officials say they have testing capacity for 5000 people per day, and New York State Governor Cuomo says the state can test 6000 people per day. (March 20).