New Jersey, Delaware, And Rhode Island Announce Coordination On COVID-19 Testing Guidance
TRENTON – Building on a previous announcement regarding COVID reopening, Delaware Governor John Carney, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announce that their states will be working together on asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.
Joint statement from the Governors:
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted our interconnectedness as states. It has also underscored the critical connection between the health of our people and the health of our economies. In order to support the health of both, our states have worked together to develop a common approach to testing among high-risk, high-priority populations even when they are asymptomatic.
As new cases increase in many of our states, and re-opening our economies is delayed or adjusted, the importance of early identification is especially clear, and the role of SARS-CoV-2 testing is central. While experts around the world recommend increased access to testing, there is not uniform federal guidance about funding or testing protocols, and the federal government identifies states as responsible for developing testing plans. While we will have individual state-driven approaches, we are announcing that our states are working together on asymptomatic COVID-19 testing guidance.
Together, we have identified priority populations for asymptomatic testing, outlined key strategies for testing in those populations and developed an approach to financing the benefits and necessity of testing. These populations include, but are not limited to, skilled nursing and assisted living populations, other congregate settings, immunocompromised individuals, workers with high exposure risk, people experiencing homelessness, and asymptomatic people with known exposure
Our approach is science-based, follows the lead of other countries that have used testing to control the virus, and is designed to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and enable safe, sustainable re-opening of economies in the three states. Our work will be guided by six overarching principles:
- Prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-
- Inform infection control measures in high-risk settings.
- Protect high-risk populations, especially those living and working in high-risk settings.
- Provide predictability for all residents.
- Allow flexibility to respond to urgent needs.
- Ensure wise use of limited resources.
#COVID19 UPDATE: We’re reporting 2,089 new positive cases, pushing our cumulative total to 236,523.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 30, 2020
We haven’t seen daily case numbers in the 2000s since early May.
Everyone needs to take this seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands. pic.twitter.com/ab6sbBvHjo
