Letter to the Hon. Peter Gaynor, Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Rep. Payne, Jr. Requests Continued FEMA Support for State Testing Facilities

Letter

Administrator Gaynor:

We write in support of the state of New Jersey's May 12, 2020, request for continued Federal support of its two Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS) and expanding testing capacity to at least 750 tests per day per site. New Jersey currently has more than 140,000 confirmed cases and nearly 10,000 deaths and leads the nation in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Continued testing support from the Federal government is necessary for the state to be able to identify and isolate continued outbreaks.

New Jersey has been on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic since it began affecting our country. Newark Liberty International Airport was one of the first airports to start screening international travelers for COVID-19 and New Jersey was one of the first states to issue a stay at home order and enforce social distancing rules to flatten the curve. New Jersey has put forward an aggressive testing plan to meet the state's current needs. However, to meet New Jersey's goal of testing 25,000 per day by the end of June, up from the current 12,000 tests a day, continued Federal support will be vital. With U.S. deaths approaching 100,000, the Federal government's disaster response approach of "locally executed, state managed, and Federally supported" must be honored now as New Jersey needs the Federal government's continued support for these testing sites.

A swift approval will allow New Jersey to accurately plan its testing strategy based on the resources that will be available. Thank you for your continued support for the people of New Jersey and we look forward to your reply.