(File Photo of Pa. House Speaker Bryan Cutler)
Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 06:45 AM
(Harrisburg, Pa.) As COVID-19 testing continues to be a crucial component of tracking the impact of the virus on Pennsylvanians, state legislative leaders are requesting access and an explanation of testing processes at the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories.
In a letter to Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam, Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), House Health Committee Chair Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest) and Rep. John Lawrence (R-Chester) said in part:
“With the continued importance of COVID-19 testing in mind, we note that according to testing reports that are required as part of Act 70 of 2020, testing efforts appear to have been hampered for over a year. The reports consistently state, ‘The State Laboratory is currently a limiting factor.’
“We must do better. The COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing since January 2020, and testing should not be a limiting factor at this point.
“There is no rational basis for DOH’s laboratory to be an impediment in any way to the timely receipt, processing and reporting of COVID-19 test results for Pennsylvania citizens.”
The members go on to request a visit and tour of the Chester County facility to determine what legislation or resources may be needed to resolve any deficiencies and improve patient outcomes.
The letter closed in saying, “We owe it to the people of Pennsylvania to ensure anything standing in the way of maximum throughput at the state laboratory is promptly addressed.”