California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced Friday he's activating the California Nationwide Guard so as to add COVID-19 testing websites and increase capability. Greater than 200 guard members are being deployed to 50 websites to assist with medical staffing and crowd management, the governor stated. "This new motion is on high of the prevailing 6,000 testing websites which have been arrange throughout the state, the current demand-based enlargement of hours at state-operated websites and the 9.6 million checks that the state has distributed to varsities since early December," his workplace stated in a information launch. The announcement comes as folks face problem discovering coronavirus check kits in lots of components of California and delays in getting outcomes — inflicting growing frustration and contributing to a surge of infections that in simply two weeks greater than doubled the variety of folks in hospitals with COVID-19. Some county mail-in testing packages have been halted resulting from exploding demand. In locations the place checks can be found, folks generally have to attend in line for a number of hours. There's additionally been a lag in acquiring check outcomes. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiology professor at College of California, San Francisco's medical college, stated she heard one lab was taking 9 days to return outcomes — longer than somebody uncovered to COVID-19 could must quarantine. "If you're attempting to do the best factor, and also you determined to attend in line to get a check, having a very long time to get actionable info shouldn't be useful," she stated. "It is kind of absurd." Some folks have resorted to paying $100 or extra for a fast outcome, one thing many cannot afford. In Los Angeles County, the place 1 / 4 of the state's practically 40 million folks dwell, overwhelming demand prompted a short lived halt to a program that allowed folks to check at residence and mail again their pattern. Public well being director Barbara Ferrer stated she hopes the testing crunch will ease in coming days. Within the meantime, she urged restraint. "Please do not resolve that since you did not get examined, you do not have COVID and you do not have to remain residence in case you've bought signs," she stated. "We do ask whereas we're attempting to extend testing capability and make it a lot simpler for everybody who want to check to get a check that you just please keep residence whilst you're symptomatic."
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