DeSantis blames testing errors on misunderstanding

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said the errors in coronavirus results reported by private labs were the result of a misunderstanding of how those numbers should be reported.

Labs usually report only the positive results on tests of other diseases but have been ordered by DeSantis’ administration to report all results for tests of COVID-19.

“There were a number of labs who were just simply doing kind of what the default is, which is sending the positives only without sending the negatives,” DeSantis said. “I don’t think they were trying to be underhanded … I think that’s kind of what they were doing before this started.”

DeSantis added that he doesn’t fault Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, the head of the Department of Health, since it’s the responsibility of private labs to submit the data to the state.

In Miami, Jacksonville and Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center starting this Friday, testing sites will include dedicated lanes for those showing symptoms, DeSantis said, with a goal of getting results within 72 hours.

The state Division of Emergency Management will also be pulling business licenses from labs that aren’t returning results quickly enough, DeSantis said.

“We are very cognizant of some of the delays we’ve seen at these labs and we’re doing our best to shift into those labs that will produce better results,” he said.

DeSantis has tried to project a sense of calm even as coronavirus cases in Florida have spiked, with another 10,181 cases reported Wednesday, and a positivity rate of 13.5 percent. There were also 112 deaths reported, bringing the death toll to 4,521.

It marks the eighth day in July Florida’s caseload was more than 10,000; the only month to record a daily total that high.

DeSantis has said that’s partly due to the increase in testing, with results of 70,000 or more coming back in one day, compared to the 10,000 or less at the start of the pandemic, but also acknowledged the positivity rate is still high in hotspot areas such as Miami-Dade County, where it’s averaged 20 percent over the past few days.

Florida Senate Democrats bashed DeSantis’ response to the virus Wednesday, saying he’s following President Trump’s lead too closely and is endangering the lives of residents by moving ahead with reopening the state and mandating schools to reopen next month. They released their own plan, which calls for a statewide mask order, reverting back to 25% capacity for all businesses and increased contact tracing efforts.

“We opened up way too early,” said Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. “If we don’t step back right now the numbers will only get worse … we’re tired of hearing excuses.”

DeSantis responded by saying he won’t budge on the order for schools to reopen and is “working hard” to protect lives by getting more federal help for contact tracing, medical personnel to help hospitals inundated with patients and reducing the delays in getting test results.

Florida will get through the pandemic, he said.

“It’s going to be done by just having a steady resolve and not being fearful,” DeSantis said.