[Report] Another Hole in US Administration Amid Omicron Spread

Long Lines at Testing Sites
5 Days for Results Notification
Infection Statistics Also 'Delayed'

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] As the number of new COVID-19 infections in the United States rapidly increases, concerns about the collapse of testing and healthcare systems are also rising. The situation completely changed over the past weekend.

A long line has formed in front of an emergency medical center in New Jersey as people gather to get tested for COVID-19.

On the morning of the 18th, the reporter who visited a COVID-19 testing site was surprised by the long lines. One emergency medical center the reporter visited closed same-day testing registration at 10 a.m. Other centers required about 1 hour for registration and approximately 2 hours for testing wait times. Those who arrived later than the reporter had to wait even longer due to the increased number of people waiting.

One patient expressed dissatisfaction, asking, "Did everyone come here just to get tested?" while looking at the long line in front of the center. Due to the high demand for testing, regular patients were unable to receive proper medical care.

Even after getting tested, it takes a long time to receive results. Until last month, results were usually available within a day, but the person in charge said to expect anywhere from two days at the earliest to up to five days at the latest.

The situation is similar at large pharmacy chains. Walgreens' testing appointment website was suspended that morning. The company explained that testing demand was overwhelming, stating, "Everything changed over the past weekend."

Bill de Blasio, the soon-to-be-retired mayor of New York City, announced at a briefing on the 21st that 23 additional municipal testing sites would be added to address the surge in testing demand.

Mayor de Blasio emphasized, "There are problems due to the nationwide surge in testing, but we will find solutions."

The daily new infections in New York State surpassed 20,000, reaching an all-time high, and even as the Omicron COVID-19 variant spreads rapidly, the statistics do not reflect the reality.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 21st (local time) that COVID-19 infection statistics are not being properly reported in many states.

According to WSJ's analysis of Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 data, only 15 out of the 52 U.S. states publish daily COVID-19 statistics.

Other states release statistics about 3 to 5 times a week. Florida has been reporting infection status only once a week since June.

Worldometer recorded 79,853 new infections on the 20th, but this figure did not include statistics from states with over one million infections so far, such as Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee.

This contrasts sharply with last year when 46 states monitored daily COVID-19 infection status.

A significant number of states are missing data in the US COVID-19 statistics on Worldometer.

The lack of accurate statistics is attributed to local governments placing less emphasis on obtaining up-to-date infection information since vaccines began to be widely distributed earlier this year.

According to the National Association of County and Town Health Officials, about 300 health department leaders nationwide have left their positions since the COVID-19 situation began.

Although Omicron is spreading rapidly, statistics are still delayed. Omicron statistics are released only once a week. As of the 11th, the Omicron ratio was 3%, but Yale University Hospital estimated that 46% to 79% of infections in New York were likely Omicron. The latest Omicron infection statistics will be announced on the 21st.

Chris Beyrer, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, warned that inaccurate COVID-19 statistics could hinder the national response.

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a speech emphasizing public vigilance ahead of the Christmas holidays after the latest Omicron variant infection data is released on the 21st.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.