Coronavirus: Trump moves to boost US testing

Amid criticism not enough tests have been done as virus cases approach one million, president aims to double number.

President Donald Trump pauses while speaking about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Donald Trump has released new national guidelines to boost coronavirus testing to answer growing criticism that not enough testing has been done to give confidence to Americans to return to work.

But the president has still left the responsibility of testing to state governments, describing the federal government’s role as ‘a supplier of last resort.’

“We are going with maximum testing,” Mr Trump said at the White House where he unveiled the guidelines

“We are going to be much higher than double on testing very soon.

“We are confident that we have enough testing to begin the reopening process,” Mr Trump said, adding that the US had now boosted its testing to 200,000 people a day and would continue to boost it sharply.

“The US has conducted more than 5.4 million tests — more than twice as much as any other country,” he said, although the US still lags many other countries in resting on a per capita basis. The 5.4 million tests represents about 1.6 per cent of the population.

Business leaders have warned Mr Trump that testing needs to be far more widespread to give people the confidence to resume their normal lives and reopen the country’s shuttered economy.

Mr Trump was bullish about the prospects of resuming economic activity, saying a declining death rate around the country would make it easier to reopen the nation’s economy.

“All parts of the country are either in good shape or in all cases getting better in terms of coronavirus,” he said.

“There is a hunger for getting our country back … ensuring the health of our economy is vital to the health of the nation.”

The new testing guidelines say testing will be increased across the country in “partnership between Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, along with the private sector and professional associations”.

Death rate far higher: report

Meanwhile a study by the Yale School of Public Health suggests that the number of coronavirus deaths in the US was far higher at the earlier stages of the pandemic in March and April than has been publicly reported.

The study, quoted in the Washington Post, found that the US recorded 15,400 excess deaths in the early weeks of the pandemic — almost twice as many as were attributed to the virus.

Those excess deaths were above the usual average of deaths for that time of year and a large number of these are considered likely to have been caused either directly by the virus or linked in some way to it.

The US is about to break through one million confirmed cases of the virus with more than 56,498 deaths.

Meanwhile at least 13 US states are taking tentative steps to reopen parts of their economy including hair salons, movie theatres, gyms restaurants.

Cautious reopenings

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would let stay-at-home order expire this week allowing retail stores, restaurants, theatres and malls to reopen but only with a 25 per cent occupancy limit.

“That executive order has done its job to slow the growth of COVID-19,” Mr Abbott said.

In the virus epicentre of New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would allow some “low risk” businesses to reopen on May 15 but high risk businesses would remain closed.

The state recorded a further 337 deaths Tuesday (AEDT), the lowest daily toll this month, as a new poll found almost half of New Yorkers said they personally knew someone who had died from coronavirus.

Meanwhile Mr Trump has told state governors to consider sending children back to schools before the school year ends in June. Many schools around the country have cancelled classes for the rest of the academic year, switching to online learning from home.

Medical experts have expressed concern about sending children back to school while there remains such a high level of infections from the virus.

Members of Congress will return to Washington next week to debate further stimulus measures to revive the closed US economy on top of the $3 trillion in relief already passed into law during the past month.

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that Congress might need to consider a guaranteed income to Americans as a part of the new relief efforts.

“We may have to think in terms of some different ways to put money in people’s pockets,” Ms Pelosi said. “Others have suggested a minimum income, a guaranteed income for people. Is that worthy of attention now? Perhaps so.”

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia