Crist pens letter to CDC: “Let people get tested”
March 12, 2020 - U.S. Representative Charlie Crist sent a letter the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, calling for the CDC to initiate COVID-19 resting protocols throughout the country, including drive-thru testing, allowing medical providers discretion regarding testing, and using every lab available to verify results. “Floridians are seeing efficient, effective coronavirus tests around the world, while Americans experiencing symptoms cannot get tested here at home," Crist said in a statement. "Tom Hanks was diagnosed with coronavirus in Australia where testing is free and widely available. He would not have met CDC criteria for a test in America. It’s outrageous." “Every day we get this wrong is a day that Americans are less safe. Let’s get it right. Let people get tested.” According to the statement, the United States ranks among the worst in the world for per capita testing rates. The current testing rate sits at under 100 tests per one million people. Crist recently sent letters to the CDC pressing for increased transparency, the Florida Surgeon General asking him to share more information on possible cases in Florida, President Trump calling him to appoint a Coronavirus Czar and Food and Drug Administration and CDC to work to improve, expand, and expedite coronavirus testing. The full letter to Director Redfield can be found here.