Availability of coronavirus tests in the U.S. will improve, officials say.

Health secretary says 4M could be shipped by end of next week

WASHINGTON — Can anybody who wants a test for the coronavirus get a test, as President Donald Trump maintained Friday?

Well, not exactly, Trump administration officials told reporters during an off-camera briefing Saturday, but they’re getting there.

Asked about Trump’s statement made during a Friday visit at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar responded, “He’s using a shorthand. What he meant to say is we’re not in the way of that.”

Azar and Federal Drug Administration commissioner Stephen Hahn rattled off the numbers. With an additional 1 million tests being shipped out by Monday, officials believe that approximately 850,000 individuals could be tested in short order.

Hahn added that 4 million additional tests could be shipped out by the end of next week. The government does not have a complete number for tests that have been administered because there is no requirement that every entity that administers the test report it to the CDC.

And he laid out a scenario — a healthy 28-year-old with some symptoms — under which a doctor might order a patient to stay home but not order testing.

Azar recommended that individuals who develop symptoms “should call your health care provider and inform them about your symptoms, follow the advice of your health care provider about whether to go to your doctor to get tested or to remain at home.”

The two officials who are part of the president’s Coronavirus Task Force also walked through the usual talking points on COVID-19. For most Americans, the risk of contracting the virus remain low. Rules for the general public are, “Wash your hands. Try not to touch your face. And please stay home if you become ill.”

Risks from contracting the virus are higher for the elderly and those with “severe underlying health conditions” such as cancer, heart disease, immuno-compromising conditions. Those individuals should “exercise caution” especially in areas highly impacted by the virus.

Azar reiterated that the administration is not issuing guidance on large gatherings and declined to comment on whether the Trump campaign should suspend rallies. Currently the campaign has no scheduled rallies. But Azar did offer that event sponsors should be “more sensitive to the environments” that have been highly affected, such as Seattle and Santa Clara County.

Stephen Hahn