Coronavirus: McKay Calls For Priority Testing In DC Area

FAIRFAX, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay called for federally-supported testing sites for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the DC region. McKay, the board chair of Virginia's most populous jurisdiction, wrote to the request to President Trump in a letter Monday. He joined state leaders in pushing for the DC region to become a priority location for federally-supported testing sites along with Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Santa Clara, California.

McKay pointed to mutual aid agreements of public safety personnel between local jurisdictions as an indication of readiness to help establish testing sites. He also said the region is positioned to make large scale cooperative procurements to obtain resources as needed.

"The National Capital Region is home to over 6 million residents and the seat of the federal government, with hundreds of thousands of employees and contractors serving the country," wrote McKay. "The health of the National Capital Region is a top priority for the continuity of our democratic government and critical to continuing federal government functions."

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The concern of testing capacity has affected Fairfax County as well as the U.S. as a whole. According to the Fairfax County Health Department's COVID-19 testing information page, the U.S. faces a limited supply of materials needed for specimen collection before those samples are sent to a laboratory for testing. In addition, there are shortages of personal protective equipment for healthcare providers to wear while testing patients. A lack of protective gear could lead to a health care provider opting not to test due to the health risk. Public health officials anticipate the testing capacity outlook to improve as commercial laboratories provide more testing supplies and more laboratories test.

The Fairfax County Health Department advises individuals who experience symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath) to contact their health care provider. The doctor will determine if an individual needs testing, although they may decline due to lack of testing materials or protective equipment. Individuals should only go to an emergency room in the case of an emergency, such as difficulty breathing. A patient should call ahead before visiting a doctor or emergency room so infection control protocols are in place.

Inova Health System, a network of hospitals serving Northern Virginia, says on its website it performs "necessary testing" while preserving the capability to continue sustained testing." However, drive-thru testing is not available due to limited testing kit availability nationwide.

As of Monday, there were 254 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia and six deaths. Fairfax County led Virginia jurisdictions with 43 cases, followed by Arlington County and James City County with 34 each. Maryland confirmed 349 cases and three deaths, while DC reported 137 positive cases and two deaths.

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