DeLauro Condemns the Dangerous Changes Made to CDC Coronavirus Testing Guidelines

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement on the dangerous modifications to COVID-19 testing guidelines made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to exclude people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus, even if they have been exposed:

"These changes to testing, made quietly by CDC, are unbelievable and fly in the face of science. The modifications are clearly political. The countries that have been able to control the spread of COVID-19 do not just test those with symptoms.

"Just because you do not test someone, does not mean they do not have the coronavirus. Just because you do not test someone, does not mean they are not spreading COVID-19 to their families and their communities. More than 1,100 Americans died yesterday alone. The United States does not have this pandemic under control, and it is unfathomable that the CDC is implementing guidelines that completely ignore the data.

"This is not just about the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, this will not be the last public health crisis we face as a nation. After guiding our country and acting as a leading voice around the world through countless public health crises, the CDC is now losing credibility and risking the global response to future crises. This shift from an agency driven by fact and science is dangerous, and the ramifications of this transformation will be felt for generations to come."