COVID testing declines, health officials concerned

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As more and more Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reminding the public that testing for the virus is critical to ending the pandemic.

According to the CDC, health officials are concerned with the recent decline in COVID-19 testing.

The COVID tracking project shows that since mid-January testing has dropped.

Communities across the country are seeing a large decline in demand, forcing some to close testing sites and even trying to return testing supplies.

Jan. 15 marked a peak in testing, when the U.S. averaged more than 2 million tests per day. Since then, the average number of daily tests dropped more than 28%.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline across the country which is allowing states and health officials to focus on vaccination efforts.

These positive trends, along with harsh winter weather, the end of holiday travel season, pandemic fatigue and the growing focus on vaccinations are causing Americans to lose interest in COVID testing.

The CDC reports that America’s death toll could climb as high as 564,000 by Mar. 27. That number is higher than the agency’s last forecast.

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Cox Media Group