WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Wednesday released a national coronavirus testing strategy, arguing that they’re filling a void left by the Trump administration, which hasn’t released a plan to scale up COVID-19 testing to allow Americans to return to work and school.
“The U.S. lags the world in testing and we lead the world in COVID-19 cases,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. “We are raising the alarm bells.”
The demand for a national strategy comes as health experts have reached consensus that the first step in allowing people to ease off social distancing is extensive and accessible testing so that people who are infected can isolate while others can go to work and school. In addition, they agree that effective antibody tests will be required so people know if they have been exposed to the virus and have recovered.
The Trump administration hasn’t done enough to develop a testing plan, Democrats say, pointing to a decrease in recorded COVID-19 testing last week. President Donald Trump has made clear that he wants the economy to reopen, but has not detailed how he would determine when to do that and how testing might factor into that decision.
Reopening society will require an “organized, coordinated and focused plan,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. “Not exactly the Trump administration’s strong suits.”
The Democrats’ goal would be to develop a plan to ensure testing is “fast, free and everywhere,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Democrats say they will try to get the requirement for a national testing strategy into the next major coronavirus relief bill, which Republicans and Democrats have not yet started seriously negotiating.
The Democrats’ plan — which is a white paper that they are looking to turn into legislation — would require the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan for the nation. It would provide emergency funding to quickly scale up access to testing, including the development of millions of tests and supplies, and a reliable pipeline of production.
The plan would also require the administration to ensure access to testing in every community, including areas that are now underserved, and public health infrastructure to better contain the virus, including more thorough contact tracing for people who develop COVID-19.
There is bipartisan support for additional testing, but it is unclear whether Republicans will go along with the plan as detailed by Democrats.
Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Roy Blunt of Missouri, chairmen of two Senate committees responsible for health policy and spending, have said they want to make COVID-19 antibody testing free to all Americans.
They acknowledged the need for widespread testing before people will feel comfortable resuming normal activities outside of their homes.
“The availability of two types of free tests — one, a diagnostic test to determine if you have COVID-19, and two, an antibodies test to determine whether you have had it and are likely immune, at least for the short term — will give Americans confidence that it is safe to go back to work and to school and restart the economy,” they wrote in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
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