20 million tests a day needed to reopen country by summer: Harvard panel

Currently the us is doing about 150,000 tests a day.

HEALTH EXPERTS SAYTESTING AND CONTACTTRACING ARE KEY TOREOPENING.

THEPROBLEM ISWE ARE NOWHERE NEAR WHERE WENEED TO BE.

WIDESPREAD TESTINGFOR COVID-19 HAS BEENA CHALLENGE FORMONTHS.NOT ENOUGHTESTS, NOT ENOUGHSUPPLIES, DELAYS INGETTING RESULTS..ANDNOW A PANEL OFEXPERTS ASSEMBLED BYHARVARD SAYS IN ORDERTO SAFELY REOPEN THEECONOMY AND AVOID ASECOND COVID WAVETHAT COULD SHUTDOWNTHE ECONOMY AGAINWE NEED TO BE DOINGFIVE MILLION TESTS ADAY BY JUNE ANDRAMPED UP TO 20MILLION TESTS A DAY BYJULY.

A LITTLEPERSPECTIVE.CURRENTLYTHE US IS DOING ABOUT150-THOUSAND TESTS ADAYHARVARDS NUMBERSARE HIGHER THAN MOST....BUT OUR AREALEADING INFECTIOUSDISEASE EXPERT DR.ALLEN RADNER SAYS WECAN DEBATE THE EXACTNUMBER BUT RAMPINGUP TESTINGSIGNIFICANTLY ISESSENTIAL.6:06 - 6:15 WE FEEL INMONTEREY COUNTY FOREVERY POSITIVE TEST IF WEHAD THE ABILITY TOGO OUTAND DO AGGRESSIVECONTACT TRACING.6:24-6:28 AND TO BE ABLETO DO TESTING ON THOSEINVIDIUALS WE WOULD BEABLE TO CONTROL IT MUCHBETTER 6:39 CASES AREGOING TO POP UP, IF WEHAVE THE ABILITY TO TEST,DO CONTACT TRACING ANDSHUTDOWN MINOROUTBREAKS IT MY BELEIF WEWILL HAVE THE ABILITY TOOPEN UP OUR COMMUNITYAND OPEN UP THEECONOMY.DR RADNER SAYS WENEED TO GET TO THEPOINT WHEREHEALTHCARE WORKERSFIRST RESPONDERS ANDFRONTLINE WORKERS ARETESTED WEEKLY IF NOTMORE OFTEN COMPANIESMAY OPT FOR TESTINGEMPLOYEES REGULARLYTHAT INCREASEDTESTING WILL BEEXPENSIVE.REP.

JIMMY PANETTA, DCALIFORNIA "AND THATSWHY THE BILL IM GOIGNBACK TO VOTE ONTOMORROW INCLUDES 25BILLION FOR TESTINGINCLDUING 11 BILLION FORSTATE AND LOCALGOVERNMENTCONGRESSMAN PANETTAWHO IS A MEMBER OFTHE WHITE HOUSE TASKFORCE ON RE-OPENINGTHE ECONOMY.HE SAYSITS A STARTE BUT ALSOWE NEED TO INCENTIVIZETHE PRIVATE SECTOR TORAMP UP TESTINGCAPACITY"THATS WHY IVE CALLED ONTHE PRESIDENT TO DEPLOYTHE DEFENSE PRODUCTIONACT TO MAKE SURE THERE ISMASS MANUFACTURING.USING THSE PRIVATECOMPANIES TO MASSMANUFACTURE THE TEST KITSTHE REAGENTS TO GET THISTESTING OUT THERE." MANYTHOUGHT THAT EASCHEAP, QUICK FINGERPRICK ANTIBODY TESTSMIGHT BE THEANSWERBUT DR. RADNERHAS SAID FOR WEEKSTHAT MANY OF TESTSARE UNPROVEN.AND ARENOT THE ANSWER IN THESHORT TERM.3;36-3:45 I THINK MOSTMAJOR MEDICLA CENTERS INTHE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ,MONTEREY CO HEALTHDEPARTMENT DOES NTOBELEIVE THESE HAVE APLACE RIGHT NOW INDETERMING WHEHTER YOUARE ACCUTELY ILL ORWHETHER WE CAN TELL YOUDEFINTIVELY THAT YOU;RE3:51-3:53 THAT YOU'VE HADTHE ILLNESS ANDYOU HAVEIMMUNITY INFECTIOUSDISEASE SPECIALISTS.SAYUNTIL WE HAVE AVACCINE TEMPERATURETAKING, MASKS IN PUBLICAND WIDE SPREADTESTING SHOULD BE THENEW NORMAL.DONEOFTEN AND ADMINSTEREDTO THOSE WITHSYMPTOMS ANDWITHOUT..AND WHEN WEGET A POSITIVE.CONTACT TRACINGCOMES NEXT.#### TOMORROW NIGHT ACLOSER LOOK ATCONTACTTRACING....WHICH GOESHAND IN HAND WITHTESTING.