DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, helped introduce legislation directing federal agencies to compile and publicly share real-time information about testing supply inventory and shortages. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals, health care systems, nursing homes and first responders have struggled to obtain tests and other critical supplies needed to adequately protect public health and contain the spread of the Coronavirus. The COVID-19 Testing Inventory Act would instruct the federal agencies leading the nation’s Coronavirus response efforts to publish key information on the nation’s testing capabilities, including the supply of diagnostic tests available nationally and distribution of tests by location.
“Months into the most severe public health crisis of our lifetimes, we have more questions than answers when it comes to America’s national testing capacity,” said Senator Peters. “Without this information, we cannot fully understand the extent of this catastrophe – or take the necessary precautions to protect our communities. This bill will help to provide those answers, and give us the data we need to effectively track and contain this deadly virus.”
The COVID-19 Testing Inventory Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Indian Health Service (IHS) to make public key information about America’s Coronavirus testing capabilities. The bill would instruct HHS to establish and maintain a public, searchable website with information on testing results from across the country, mandate publication of information regarding distribution of tests, and distribute a weekly report identifying all authorized laboratories, including their testing capacity, authorized tests, and other relevant information. The bill would also require a public listing of testing sites in all fifty states and detailed reporting on Coronavirus testing results.
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