California, Texas, New York and other states to not follow new COVID-19 testing plan

Despite new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that the older tests may not be needed, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey and New York plan to continue to test asymptomatic people who have been infected by the novel coronavirus. Spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services reportedly said that the current guide by Texas suggests testing of all those people who have been in close contact with the infected person. He further added that there is no plan in changing the guidelines as of now. 

Various states deny the new testing plan

According to the reports California and New York have also come up with similar statements. The Health Department of Florida reportedly said that the asymptomatic testing will continue since the new CDC recommendations are being evaluated. Recently, CDC announced a controversial change in its COVID-19 testing guidelines earlier this week, which doesn’t mandate testing for people without symptoms. The change was reportedly made after pressure from higher echelons of the Trump administration and the deliberations took place in the absence of White House coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci. The updated CDC guidelines were published on August 24 which said that people who had been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient “do not necessarily need a test” if they do not display symptoms. CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield said in a statement that the changes to the testing guidelines reflected “updated recommendations” from the White House coronavirus task force.

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Reports suggest that the novel coronavirus has affected 6,048,317 people in the United States with 184,803 casualties. However, cases have fallen in a row for five weeks but the infections are surging in the US Midwest as four states reported record oneday increases in cases on August 27. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the coronavirus cases in the United States are the highest in the world because of greater testing, trying to wash his hands of the failed COVID-19 response. 

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According to the reports, Andrew Cuomo the Governor of New York said that New York would not abide by the new guidance. He further added that this decision has nothing to do with politics. Mr. Cuomo along with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut reportedly said in a joint statement that the ‘180-degree reversal’ of testing guidelines for the novel coronavirus is reckless as it is not based on science and has the potential to damage the reputation of CDC. Assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, Admiral Brett Giroir, reportedly said that there is no political pressure from the administration and testing the asymptomatic patients this early could lead to false negatives, contributing to the spread of the virus. Several Democrats questioned this move and wondered whether it was in line with Trump’s strategy. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the reversal of COVID-19 testing strategy is not based on science but on politics, calling the decision “indefensible”.

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