COVID-19 testing centers play a major role in determining which areas have locals who might be positive for COVID-19. Though there are a lot more testing sites put up in various areas, it remains that they are not enough to serve most communities. Some are experiencing a shortage in supplies and it appears Sacramento will have to close down some community coronavirus test centers because of it.
According to the Sacramento Bee, county health officials announced that they will be shutting down five coronavirus testing sites this week at underserved areas. A reason for this is that they are dealing with a shortage of testing materials. County health officer Dr. Peter Beilenson said that after the last of the testing centers open on Tuesday, all five will be shut down indefinitely.
“It’s a big hit,” Beilenson said. “UC Davis, which does the tests for us, doesn’t have the materials. There’s a shortage nationally.”
The development offers more bad news to the area, particularly low-income neighborhoods. Some of them were seen as possibly the areas where the COVID-19 virus began to spread. The five affected neighborhoods include:
- Natomas Unified School District
- South Sacramento Christian Center
- Tetteh Pediatric Health in South Land Park
- La Familia Counseling Center
- Robertson Community Center
UC Davis informed the county of its dilemma, running short on components that were essential to COVID-19 testing. They were the same group that came to the aid of the county a month ago, particularly when Sacramento was suffering from a shortage of test materials. Until now, they were able to help boost the mass testing efforts in the area, especially the ones who could not afford COVID-19 testing.
The efforts of UC Davis was a big help, allowing the county to determine the extent of virus infections in the area. The good news is that Beilenson has been discussing with UC Davis about the situation and there is a chance that test sites may reopen in two weeks. But that will depend if supplies can be replenished to aid in their coronavirus testing efforts.
The shortage of testing supplies is not limited to Sacramento. The same is being experienced in other regions. Like in California, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly warned about impending shortages and urged laboratories to focus more on people who are at higher risk of spreading the virus.
“As more states begin to scale their testing capabilities, new constrains are materializing within the supply chain,” Ghaly said in a statement. “California will continue to work hard to reduce any delays in testing turnaround time and return to our broader scale testing efforts.”