A.G. Gancarski
For the second time in less than 24 hours, a member of the Donald Trump administration said Florida had more COVID-19 tests than it needs.
On Tuesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany affirmed a statement from the President Monday, in which Trump mused that Florida had an “overcapacity.”
“There were extra tests,” McEnany said. “There wasn’t enough demand. There weren’t people showing up to use them all.”
McEnany, of Tampa, said DeSantis had said “that had happened at some sites around the state.”
“He saw it firsthand. He’s the Governor of Florida,” the press secretary added. “Governor DeSantis was reporting what he’d seen at drive-thru testing sites.”
That seems to be in reference to locations such as Jacksonville, where days have concluded without all of the daily allotment of tests having been used. As once-federal sites reverted to state management in major cities, testing has continued to ramp up, with more mobile sites and antibody testing.
“That’s a good thing. We were able to fulfill Gov. DeSantis’ plan in full that he has laid out as necessary to open the state of Florida.”
The President, said McEnany, wasn’t just taking the Governor’s word for whether Florida should move forward in reopening, but is reviewing data for Florida and every state.
McEnany was attempting to contextualize a particularly newsworthy Trump quote from his Monday evening briefing.
“Ron DeSantis of Florida, the Governor, is doing a fantastic job in Florida. He said he’s got a little bit of the opposite problem. He’s got so much testing that people sit around and wait for people to come in; that they have a far — a great — overcapacity for testing, and there are numerous other states that have told me the same thing. That’s by the way a good problem not a bad problem,” Trump said.
2 comments
Margaret Blustine
May 12, 2020 at 5:19 pm
Again far too few fla testing sites. The few demonstrations santis talking abt were in no place badly needed where mayors begging for testing can’t get.fla testing is only at 2600 out of every 100000 people and fla has 20 million.very very few testing sites in fla still.fla testing per capita is 6th worse state out of 50.supplies hospitals begging for all over fla can’t get.de santis warps the truth beyond comprehension which allows trump pick out a day in remote place where testing not as much.while huge amts of testing so many mayors begging and needing don’t get any still.it’s a deadly game de santis and trump are manipulating in fla to use it to do herd immunity experiment that experts say would take 3 yrs and kill 55 per cent americans and sicken steadily so many workers now that economy will totally crash fla and nation by August with fla sooner.there is no model for fla as it never really locked down and can’t be compared to countries that actually protected their people.unlike trump andeliberately de santis. Look at numbers.obvious both did barely anything but wimpy efforts to fool fla residents and america.now on path of total deathours and economic destruction.obvious in true numbers they both continually lie abt
Frankie M.
May 12, 2020 at 10:36 pm
I saw on twitter that there was no waiting at T&A stadium twice. Both times I went there was no wait because they were shutting it down due to the threat of inclement weather. Apparently white sugar does melt in the rain. So I just went to my doctor and got the test. Much easier.
I saw Lenny at the grocery store with his mask on the other day. Almost didn’t recognize him. He had one of those “good” N95 masks the medical people are always trying to get their hands on. He looked restless and ready to go! Let’s roll!
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