Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — Governor Reynolds says she declined 95 million dollars in federal funds for Covid surveillance testing in Iowa schools because the state has nearly 300 million in federal funding available for testing.
Public health officials say surveillance testing isn’t about diagnosing individuals, but about collecting data to understand and predict outbreaks.
Iowa City schools had a spike in COVID cases last month. Several Democratic lawmakers have criticized the Republican governor for turning down money congress approved in March, saying the state should accept all the pandemic support it’s offered. The Iowa Department of Public Health has asked the C-D-C if the 95 million dollars could be used instead on vaccine distribution.
