The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its COVID-19 testing guidelines and now says people without symptoms « do not necessarily need a test » – …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its COVID-19 testing guidelines and now says people without symptoms « do not necessarily need a test » – even if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19. The move comes a week after the CDC updated travel guidelines that no longer mandate a 14-day quarantine for anyone who’s traveled outside of their state or the country. The revisions to CDC guidelines have been met with concern by medical experts, who caution that less testing may lead to more cases and hinder contact tracing efforts. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned the revised CDC guidelines on testing, saying Wednesday it « reinforces the lack of attention and understanding that we have to have in order to crush this virus. » Meanwhile, efforts to learn more about how the virus spreads remain unwavering. Researchers in Massachusetts are tracking the number of cases linked to « superspreader » events — such as weddings, parties and conferences — which could help states decide what events or activities are safe during the ongoing pandemic. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to the Daily Briefing. Though the number of Americans testing positive for the coronavirus may be ebbing in some cities, the economic damage drags on. « Though we are seeing a meaningful decline in new COVID-19 cases, the trends in economic indicators have not changed significantly, » BofA Global Research said in an investors note. About 1 million workers filed initial applications for unemployment insurance last week, economists estimate, a slight dip from the 1.1 million who applied the week before. The number seeking unemployment aid for the first time has been volatile, slightly dipping and rising, yet remaining stubbornly high — far above the previous record of 695,000 weekly claims set during an economic downturn in 1982. The see-sawing numbers reflect the stops and starts occurring throughout the U. S. economy, as businesses gradually reopen in some parts, while others roll back or halt re-openings as COVID-19 cases spike. —Charisse Jones In response to CDC guidelines that say people exposed to the virus may not need to be tested, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said scientists urge more testing at 3 million per day to identify, track and treat the virus. But a top CDC official defended the changes as « appropriate. » “The CDC guidelines that they have put forth are scary and dangerous,” Pelosi said in a Democratic National Convention Zoom call. “It really is very sad and just reinforces the lack of attention and understanding that we have to have in order to crush this virus. » At a news conference, however, Dr. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the guidance is meant to encourage more « appropriate testing, not less testing. » « There will be more asymptomatic testing in areas where it’s needed and less where it’s not needed, » he said. Pelosi wasn’t buying it. She said the updated guidelines will be investigated by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and at the select committee headed by Rep. James Clyburn, D-S. C. “This has to be resisted,” Pelosi said. “This is just again ignoring science and letting the virus have its way with our people. It really must be addressed.” – Bart Jansen Gov. Tom Wolf is calling on the Pennsylvania legislature to legalize recreational marijuana and use the tax revenue to help small businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has steered Pennsylvania’s economy into a recession. And although programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Paycheck Protection Program have helped some, Wolf said, more needs to be done. « The legislature can act right now to get us back on track as quickly as we possibly can, » Wolf said at a news conference Tuesday. He wants to see more money provided to front-line workers and working parents, as well as more grants created to support small businesses. These efforts could be funded, he said, with the $1.
