The Food and Drug Administration has stopped a coronavirus testing program promoted by billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, according to a news release.
The program was designed to raise the rate of coronavirus testing before states reopening by sending test kits to both healthy and sick people.
According to a statement on the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, the FDA asked the organization to halt testing until it gets more authorizations. But SCAN maintained the agency has told them the tests are safe.
SCAN wrote on its site the FDA "recently clarified its guidance for home-based, self-collected samples to test for COVID-19. We have been notified that a separate federal emergency use authorization (EUA) is required to return results for self-collected tests."
It added: "The FDA has not raised any concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of SCAN's test, but we have been asked to pause testing until we receive that additional authorization."
In a blog post earlier this week, Gates also addressed the issue.
"Not only will it help improve our understanding of the outbreak in Seattle, it will also provide valuable information about the virus for other communities around the world," Gates wrote.
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