Florida admits cache of virus tests is expired

MIAMI -- About 1 million rapid coronavirus tests that Florida had amassed earlier in the pandemic expired last month, the state has acknowledged, citing low demand before the omicron variant caused a surge in infections.

"We had a stockpile, but no one really wanted them for many, many months," Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday as he faced questions about the expired tests, which are not for use at home.

The state asked the federal government whether the expiration date could be extended, but it has not heard back, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The tests had been set to expire in the fall, he added, but their shelf life was extended until late December.

DeSantis and his administration confirmed the tests' expiration after Nikki Fried, the state's agricultural commissioner, revealed Dec. 30 that the stockpile had not been used.

DeSantis has criticized the Biden administration for failing to provide more at-home tests. On Thursday, the governor announced that Florida had purchased 1 million of them to distribute to nursing homes and long-term-care facilities.

Like many other Americans, Floridians for weeks have faced long waits at testing sites as coronavirus cases spike. At-home tests have been difficult to come by.

On Thursday, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the Florida surgeon general, released new guidelines that discourage asymptomatic people from getting tested if they are not at high risk of developing covid-19 complications -- an approach opposed by most public health experts because infected people can spread the disease even if they don't have symptoms.

DeSantis has endorsed the new guidelines, saying that too much testing is disruptive.

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