Members of Minnesota Congressional Delegation Urge Administration to Provide Critical Assistance to the State in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

March 16, 2020
5:21 pm

Letter to Vice President Pence calls on Administration to ensure access to all supplies needed to process at least 15,000 tests per month in Minnesota

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Dean Phillips (D-MN-3), Betty McCollum (D-MN-4), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5), and Collin Peterson (D-MN-7) wrote a letter to Vice President Pence calling on the Administration to provide critical assistance to the State of Minnesota in its efforts to respond to and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We have heard serious concerns from medical personnel in our State regarding the ability to process coronavirus testing due to the limited availability of needed components such as reagents and lab supplies,” the members wrote. “It is for that reason that we ask the Administration to assist our State in ensuring access to all supplies needed to process at least 15,000 tests per month. In addition, we urge you to take measures to address supply chain issues resulting in shortages of reagents, as deficiencies in testing components have forced the State to ration the number of tests performed at its public health laboratory.”

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

We write to call on the Administration to provide critical assistance to the State of Minnesota in its efforts to respond to and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

We have heard serious concerns from medical personnel in our State regarding the ability to process coronavirus testing due to the limited availability of needed components such as reagents and lab supplies. It is for that reason that we ask the Administration to assist our State in ensuring access to all supplies needed to process at least 15,000 tests per month. In addition, we urge you to take measures to address supply chain issues resulting in shortages of reagents, as deficiencies in testing components have forced the State to ration the number of tests performed at its public health laboratory.

We must do more to help prevent and respond swiftly to the spread of COVID-19. Ensuring adequate access to testing must be a vital part of that response.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent request.

Sincerely,