Hassan pushing U.S. Health and Human Services secretary on testing availability

Oct. 18—With access to COVID-19 tests still less than perfect and results for the most accurate form of testing taking days to come back, Sen. Maggie Hassan is pushing U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to find a way to gather data about where testing shortages are most acute, and use that data to help direct the government's efforts to alleviate testing issues.

In a letter sent to Becerra Monday, Hassan said she was most concerned about children being kept out of school for days or weeks as they wait for test results.

"Many families are concerned that the lack of testing availability and slow turnaround time for test results will keep their children out of school or daycare for extended periods," Hassan wrote. "Public health experts have made clear that widespread access to free PCR tests with rapid turnaround times is essential to reducing COVID-19 spread, particularly in schools with children who are not yet eligible for the vaccine."

Hassan said she heard from a family whose child had to stay out of school for two weeks as they waited for COVID-19 test results, and another family that tried six different pharmacies to get a COVID-19 test appointment. Hassan also referred to a recent Union Leader report on the way lagging tests are keeping children out of school.

"The Biden administration's October 6th announcement of a $1 billion dollar investment to increase the availability of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests marks a significant step toward addressing this issue," Hassan wrote.

"I write to encourage the administration to build upon this investment to make sure that the tests are available where they are needed most."

Hassan writes that she wants to understand how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will target its testing resources, asking how the administration will figure out which areas of the country are most in need of tests, and how that information will be used to help inform manufacturing and distribution of test supplies.

Hassan requested a response from Becerra by Nov. 12.

Gov. Chris Sununu announced that New Hampshire will soon open four sites offering free rapid tests through a contract with an urgent care business, but most schools require a PCR test for children and staff to return to school if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.