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Headline Roundup August 21st, 2020

Added Scrutiny on Coronavirus Testing as Schools Reopen

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The state of COVID-19 coronavirus testing in the U.S. has drawn additional attention and scrutiny as schools move to reopen safely. Some public health officials are calling for widespread testing before schools resume in-person classes; some federal officials are more in favor of less frequent testing more focused on people with symptoms or relationships with affected individuals. Some coverage from left-rated outlets concentrated on the purported need of having testing widely available as a prerequisite for reopening schools. Some reports from right-rated sources focused on examples of areas where positive test rates are decreasing, in turn suggesting that less rigid testing procedures may suffice.

Featured Coverage of this Story

NYC Records Lowest COVID Test Positivity Rate Since March, De Blasio Aims to Reopen Schools
NYC Records Lowest COVID Test Positivity Rate Since March, De Blasio Aims to Reopen Schools

National Review (News)

News

New York mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that the city has recorded its lowest positive testing rate for coronavirus since the pandemic began in March.

The most recent daily results for citywide coronavirus tests, August 17, revealed that 0.24 percent of new patients tested positive. As of the same date, the city recorded a 7-day average of 320 people testing positive, a rate that has held relatively steady since the beginning of the month.

“This is extraordinary,” de Blasio said of the daily positivity rate. “This should be...

Open on National Review (News)
Former HHS Secretary says national coronavirus testing strategy needed to reopen schools
Former HHS Secretary says national coronavirus testing strategy needed to reopen schools

CBS News (Online)

News

As the fall semester approaches, the decision of whether to bring millions of students and staff back to school has fallen largely on local school districts and university administrators.

But in order to prepare for the eventuality of coronavirus surges on campus, and avoid shuttering campus gates once more, a former administration official says that the Trump White House needs to implement a national COVID-19 testing strategy in order to safely reopen and return to "normal."

"A national approach to testing is the way that we will get to the...

Open on CBS News (Online)
Billions in Federal Covid-19 Testing Funds Still Unspent
News

Billions of dollars in federal funds earmarked for boosting nationwide Covid-19 testing remain unspent months after Congress made the money available, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In April, Congress allocated roughly $25 billion for federal agencies and states to expand testing, develop contact-tracing initiatives and broaden disease surveillance.

According to HHS data, only about 10% to 15% of that total has been drawn down, meaning the cash has been spent or committed to various efforts. The funds for various testing initiatives were part of the...

Open on Wall Street Journal (News)

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