Rep. Andy Kim (D-Marlton) released a list of recommendations meant to prepare the country for a renewed wave of COVID-19 infections Tuesday.
The 26-page report, titled “The Way Forward: Preparing America for a Second Wave,” calls for testing infrastructure that would allow asymptomatic Americans be to receive virus test results within 48 hours, with an even faster turnaround time for hospitalized patients.
The report calls for additional federal resources to be dedicated to testing and calls for such tests to be made affordable.
“The federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been insufficient to meet the scale of the threat,” Kim said. “The lack of a national testing and contact tracing strategy, continued shortages of personal protective equipment, and the absence of innovative methods to create early warning systems have led to a series of calamitous outcomes that have cost lives and livelihoods.”
Kim’s report calls for a uniform approach on contact tracing between states, more investment in training for contact tracers and greater privacy protections for those who have contracted the virus to ensure they speak with tracers.
The congressman’s report also asks for an expansion of the availability of personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. It also issues a call for the installation of early warning systems.