Capitol physician says Senate lacks capacity to test all senators

The Capitol’s attending physician said Thursday that coronavirus tests will be available for staffers and senators who are ill, but not enough to proactively test all 100 senators as the chamber comes back in session, according to two people familiar with the matter.

In a conference call with top GOP officials, Dr. Brian Monahan said there is not sufficient capacity to quickly test senators for coronavirus — a contrast with the White House, where any people meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are tested for the disease. Monahan said test results in the Senate will take two or more days, while the White House has rapid testing.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Monday after more than a month away, bringing as many as 100 senators from across the country. Roughly half the senators are 65 or older and at increased risk for the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly vowed that the Senate can operate safely amid the pandemic with proper social distancing and masks. Though House Democrats originally planned to come back next week, they decided against returning after consulting with Monahan. On Thursday, he did not address whether he thought it was safe for the Senate to return, one of the people familiar with the call said.



https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/30/capitol-physician-senators-coronavirus-testing-226980