Give Gov. Ducey credit for ramping up COVID-19 testing
Let’s start by acknowledging that no one on the planet has handled everything exactly right when it comes to the response to the novel coronavirus.
But for the state’s paper of record to have a screaming headline blasting Gov. Doug Ducey on page A1 for not taking action is not just unfair — it’s misleading.
And don’t take my word for it. Take the reporting of the same Arizona Republic on page A5, “Ducey announces efforts to expand COVID-19 testing”.
Expand is too gentle a word. Gov. Ducey announced to the world that Arizona will increase its testing capacity by a factor of about six by the end of August. This is a gamechanger.
The sheer difficulty and worldwide battle to get necessary supplies for tests during a global pandemic underscores the skill and time and relationship management that went in to such a major development.
Project Catapult, a partnership between the state and Arizona-based Sonora Quest, a nationwide leader in diagnostic testing, will result in a ramp-up of up to 35,000 daily diagnostic tests by the end of July and 60,000 by the end of August. We’re at about 12,000 or so total today, so this in and of itself is an exponential increase.
The lab already processes about three-quarters of the tests in Arizona.
In more good news, the Arizona Department of Health is spending $12.7 million to fund innovative saliva tests developed by Arizona State University.
These less invasive tests (spitting into a tube rather than having a swab stuck up your nose) will help 100,000 Arizonans with a focus on those communities in greatest need.
And thanks to the excellent relationship that the governor enjoys with the administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will launch free testing locations in Maryvale and South Phoenix that will test up to 5,000 people a day for 12 days, for another 60,000 tests.
This increased
testing comes
with the promise of much quicker results. Today, results can take one week or more, which is simply too long. It’s unacceptable.
The turnaround time is expected to come down to less than 24 hours, which will be critical for the state to have a contact tracing and isolation program in place that can quickly identify who is sick and can expeditiously notify those who have been exposed.
This testing tsunami complements other important actions the governor has recently taken. He’s closed bars, nightclubs and gyms and limited pool capacity. He’s allowed localities to issue mask mandates (most have), and he’s stopped widespread gatherings.
On July 9, he took another step by mandating strict limits for dine-in restaurants and reiterated that we are all safer at home. He also made it clear that he’ll be working with business to properly calibrate regulations on commercial operations to slow the spread of the virus.
The governor will always err on the side of public health, but he’s trying to keep as much of the economy going in as safe and responsible a manner as possible.
Those who just want to close the state are kidding themselves. It wasn’t the Newt Gingrich Book Club that lit the fuse in the Scottsdale nightlife scene. It was young people throwing caution to the wind and all of us to some extent letting our guard down.
But if we close down the economy, it could mean:
Banning elective surgeries and medical visits from the routine, like dental cleanings, to serious procedures such as colonoscopies and even mastectomies;
Stopping in-person university attendance, which will destroy the budgets of these schools; and
Shuttering small business and personal services.
The trifecta of new testing developments should have been the big takeaway and front-page headline from the July 9 press conference, not a cheap shot.
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