Coronavirus testing czar Brett Giroir told a House committee on Friday that 1 million rapid coronavirus tests will be sent to high-risk nursing homes by the end of the week.
Politico reports that 1,019 nursing homes will receive the rapid tests.
On Thursday, Giroir told reporters that the Trump administration hopes to send 2,400 machines for processing point-of-care antigen tests to nursing homes in states experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases over the next few weeks.
The plan to deploy more rapid tests and machines is intended to help take pressure off of commercial testing laboratories as well as increase testing capabilities for nursing homes.
Giroir said the government is working to locate additional machines for these facilities.
Even with a boost in testing supplies, he told the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis that testing is only one component of fighting the virus.
"Testing does not replace personal responsibility. It does not substitute for avoiding crowded indoor spaces or washing hands or wearing a mask,” Giroir said. “A negative test doesn't mean you won't be positive tomorrow.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced its plan to deliver point-of-care instruments to nursing homes.
The administration has a goal of sending 15,000 testing instruments to nursing homes over the next several months.
Giroir also told the committee the administration is looking to increase testing at universities.
He said university labs that don't meet certain clinical lab regulatory standards should be able to conduct surveillance testing for students using non-FDA-authorized systems.
“We are working closely with states and universities to implement this type of system, and many of them like [Louisiana State University] already have,” Giroir said.
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