Trump Administration Reverses Obama-Era Regulation Responsible for Coronavirus Testing Roadblock; Trump Administration Issues New Guidance for Nursing Homes to Combat Coronavirus
By Daily Caller. The Trump administration has rolled back a Food And Drug Administration rule instituted by President Barack Obama that has stalled coronavirus testing at the state level.
The rule in question previously required state-run laboratories to only run medical tests pre-approved by the F.D.A.
Commissioner Stephen Hahn first addressed the testing problem on Saturday by issuing new guidance that would allow the state labs to conduct not-yet-approved coronavirus testing on patients in response to the public health emergency. In return for skirting the Obama-era regulation, laboratories must apply for an F.D.A. review of the new test, document the test’s accuracy and notify the F.D.A. of the test’s validity prior to F.D.A. completing the approval process.
“We believe this policy strikes the right balance during this public health emergency,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn of the rule change. “We will continue to help to ensure sound science prior to clinical testing and follow-up with the critical independent review from the FDA, while quickly expanding testing capabilities in the U.S.” (Read more from “Trump Administration Reverses Obama-Era Regulation Responsible for Coronavirus Testing Roadblock” HERE)
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Trump Administration Issues New Guidance for Nursing Homes to Combat Coronavirus
By The Hill. The Trump administration on Wednesday issued new guidance to prioritize inspection efforts at nursing homes around the country in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Vice President Pence met with nursing home and long-term care industry leaders at the White House on Wednesday morning as part of ongoing outreach between the government and businesses affected by the virus.
The administration later distributed updated protocols to ensure nursing homes are taking proper measures to limit the transmission of the disease among one of the most vulnerable populations.
“We have raised the bar involving infectious disease control at our nursing homes,” Pence told reporters at a press briefing.
The government is reallocating its inspection resources to focus specifically on whether nursing homes are complying with infection control standards, Pence said. Surveyors typically also monitor for issues such as abuse and neglect during inspection. (Read more from “Trump Administration Issues New Guidance for Nursing Homes to Combat Coronavirus” HERE)
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