California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted he ‘owns’ the state’s lapse in COVID-19 testing and announced a new task force will work to increase testing sites.
Newsom, 52, shared the revelations with residents in a video released to social media on Saturday.
He said: ‘The testing space has been a challenging one for us and I own that. And I have a responsibility as your governor to do better and do more testing in the state of California.’
‘I own that, you deserve better and more,’ he added.
Newsom added that only 126,700 of the nearly 40million Californians have been tested for coronavirus. Of those who have undergone testing, 13,000 are awaiting results.
As of Saturday, the Golden State has 13,647 confirmed cases and 319 deaths. Los Angeles has at least 4,500 infections and 91 residents have died.
Public health officials have called for widespread coronavirus testing in an effort to stop the spread, but the United States has continuously lagged.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the state’s downfalls in coronavirus testing and admit he ‘owns’ the lapse
This is compounded by backlogged laboratories where results have been delayed.
But Newsom unveiled a potential bright spot amid the pandemic with the announcement of a task force.
‘We are now in a position where I can confidently say it’s a new day,’ he said.
‘We turning the page on our old approach to how we coordinate, how we collaborate and how we distribute to you in the public around the issue of testing.’
The task force, Newson said, is in partnership with universities like UC David and UC San Diego, laboratories, hospitals and testing companies to create more testing sites.
He added that Stanford, which is also involved in the task force, was just ‘hours’ away from getting FDA approval of a new blood test for coronavirus.
A new task force has been created in California to help introduce more COVID-19 testing sites and ensure more availability. Pictured: A Los Angeles Fire Department official wearing protective gear deliver testing kits to a waiting motorist at a COVID-19 drive-up testing site in Los Angeles
The test differs from others because it only detects antibodies, unlike testing that relies on RNA from the respiratory system.
‘The approach is a comprehensive one, geographically considered,’ Newson said.
Five to seven new testing locations are expected, but confirming testing numbers could take ‘a few weeks.’
It will be spearheaded by Dr. Charity Dean, assistant director of the state Department of Public Health, and Paul Markovich, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California.
Private and public leaders are among task force members, and Newson said he is confident the task force will help overcome testing challenges.
At the moment, state officials are scrambling to find enough hospital and ICU beds to house the estimated surge in infected patients.
Modeling suggests 50,000 new beds will be needed in California by mid-May, the Los Angeles Times reports.
As the influx of cases swarm California, the state has asked retired medical workers, medical students and those with licenses from other states to joint California Health Corps. Newson said around 79,000 people have signed up.
Newsom (pictured): ‘We turning the page on our old approach to how we coordinate, how we collaborate and how we distribute to you in the public around the issue of testing’
Pictured: The first day of drive-through testing for the coronavirus opens in the parking lot of the South Bay Galleria shopping center
Modeling suggests that California, who’re working to increase testing sites (pictured), will need 50,000 new ICU and hospital beds by mid-May
While California struggled with coronavirus testing, Newson said it excelled in its stay-at-home order that is expected to continue.
Officials have encouraged authorities to enforce social distancing mandates with ‘social pressure’ instead of punishment, but Newson said there is enforcement happening in some areas.
He said: ‘The state is always prepared to do more and I just want to encourage people, don’t force our hand in that respect. ‘
Four nonessential businesses accused of remaining open received criminal charges from Los Angeles prosecutors Friday.
Newsom acknowledged the new coronavirus protocols upended people’s lives, but championed social distancing.
‘We cannot allow cabin fever to come in, we cannot allow people to congregate again in pews, on our beaches and in our parks. Let’s hold the line,’ he said.
California has set up a website, covid19supplies.ca.gov, for individuals and companies to sell, donate or offer to manufacture needed medical supplies amid nationwide shortages.
Newsom’s press conference came amid President Trump’s admission that Americans should brace for ‘lot of deaths’ in the upcoming weeks and that it will be a ‘very horrendous’ time for the US.
‘But there will be death,’ he admitted before continuing to tout the use of the malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a treatment.
‘This will probably be the toughest week – between this week and next week,’ Trump told reporters.
‘There will be a lot of death, unfortunately. But a lot less death than if this wasn’t done,’ he added of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
The United States currently has 300,087 confirmed cases and a death toll of 8,162.