The United States conducted more than a million coronavirus tests on Saturday, setting a one-day record, but experts said at least 6 million such tests are needed daily in order to gain control over the pandemic, The Hill reported over the weekend.
In recent weeks, single-day testing numbers have decreased, with the U.S. conducting an average of 650,000 per day during the week ending Sept. 13, while two months ago the U.S. tested an average of more than 800,000 people daily.
There have been reports of lines with hour-long wait times to get tested in certain areas, such as Houston and Miami when cases were increasing there. A shortage of tests has made it more difficult to identify those who have the coronavirus.
According to the COVID Tracking Project, on Saturday the U.S. completed 1,061,411 diagnostic tests.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Sunday criticized the U.S for slow turnaround times for tests, telling “Fox News Sunday” that “it’s outrageous” that “even today, people don’t get their results in 24 hours."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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