US labs await virus-testing kits promised by administration

WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials doubled down on their promise to deliver 1 million tests for the coronavirus this week as states reported limited testing supplies and federal lawmakers expressed doubts about the government’s timeline. Asked Thursday whether there were enough testing kits, Vice President Mike Pence responded, ”I think we are we are ready today but we want to be ready tomorrow.” He acknowledged, “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.” However, he added, “we’ve made real progress on that in the last several days.” U.S. senators who were briefed on the plan said it could take days or weeks before thousands of medical personnel are trained to run the tests. “If you are a doctor and wanting to get someone tested, you need to reach out to your public health lab.” The third part of the government strategy involves spurring private testing companies, such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, to run and develop their own tests. LabCorp, one of the nation’s largest testing companies, said Thursday it has begun offering coronavirus testing to doctors, hospitals and other health care professionals in its network.