Ending support

Trump administration ending support for drive-thru testing sites

Seven sites are in Texas, which is experiencing record numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

By DAVID LIM

The federal government is ending its support for 13 drive-thru coronavirus testing sites on June 30, urging states to take over their operations — even as cases spike in several parts of the country.

The sites, which HHS says are spread across five states, are the remnants of a larger federal testing program established early in the pandemic. Seven sites are in Texas, which is experiencing record numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

The background: In March, HHS and FEMA set up 4 testing sites in 12 states. During the height of the pandemic, in early April, HHS tried to offload control of the drive-thru sites to states. The department reversed course after governors objected.

Reaction: Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, says it's not the right time to shift responsibility for the sites — especially those near emerging hot spots in Texas — to states.

“The federally supported testing sites remain critically needed, and in some place like Houston and Harris County, TX and in other hotspots, are needed now more than ever,” Becker said in an email. “This is not the time for the federal government to walk back prior commitments on testing.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was also critical of the plan. "It's pretty clear to me, and I think it's clear to all of us, that with the uptick of cases, now is not the time to retreat from our vigilance in testing," he said. "I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas, at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed."

HHS weighs in: Coronavirus testing czar Brett Giroir says he has spoken to governors or their representatives in the five states that still have a federally supported testing site.

“We are transitioning 13 sites from the original now antiquated program to the more efficient and effective testing sites,” Giroir said in an emailed statement. He argued the government is still supporting increased testing capacity through a federal bundled payment program for retail pharmacies setting up testing sites.

What’s next: HHS says governors can use CARES Act funding to maintain operations at the current federally supported testing sites.