Trump, Pressured Over Pandemic, Says States Will Receive 150 Million Tests
Author: internet - Published 2020-09-28 07:00:00 PM - (200 Reads)President Trump on Monday announced the federal government would ship 150 million rapid tests to U.S. states, reports Reuters . He said the tests would mainly be used for opening schools and ensuring safety at senior communities. Trump added that 50 million tests will go to the "most vulnerable communities," including nursing and assisted living communities. He stated that 6.5 million tests will be shipped this week and the rest in the weeks ahead. The rapid tests were procured from Abbott Laboratories in August. Abbott said it would scale production capacity to 50 million tests monthly by October, and that it could currently produce "tens of millions," meaning full distribution to all states and territories will take at least several months. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and White House virus adviser Scott Atlas cautioned that more positive COVID-19 cases may result from accelerated testing.