The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) has warned that its members are reporting rising demand for COVID-19 tests that is likely to outstrip supply.
In a statement, the ACLA said that its member laboratories are now performing 300,000 tests per day, up from 100,000, but that it does not have capacity to meet a significantly ramped-up number of orders. The ACLA flagged issues with shortages of supplies needed for lab tests, such as pipettes and reagents, a problem that is likely to worsen with increased demand. Officials on the White House Coronavirus Task Force have provided assurances in the past that labs would have the supplies they needed to perform COVID-19 tests.
"We are in active conversations with the Administration and supply partners about ways to address these challenges," the ACLA said.
