Chris Hayes Stunned to Hear CT Governor Say 200 Nurses Sidelined Due to Lack of Testing

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes expressed shock at the news that 200 nurses in the state of Connecticut were unable to do their jobs because they were stuck in isolation because they cannot get tested after begin exposed to the coronavirus.

During a discussion with the MSNBC host of how the federal government could help states like his, Conn. Gov. Ned Lamont noted that, in a hospital in Danbury, the public health workforce has been increasingly sidelined because of a lack of testing. His complaint mirrored another anecdote from two weeks ago, when one California nurse’s rant against the CDC over lack of testing went viral, highlighting the federal government’s bungled response to identifying infections among health professionals who had been quarantined after exposure to COVID-19.

Hayes asked Lamont point blank, what the Trump administration “could be stepping in to aid your efforts right now you’re not getting?”

The governor reiterated that the federal government must further push the importance of social distancing via remotely working and schooling and avoiding unnecessary use of the healthcare system.

“I get that message,” Hayes responded. “We’ve been communicating that we need to keep ERs clear for the most at risk. As you think about ICUs reaching capacity potentially as the pandemic grows, what do you need? What resources do you need and where can you get them? Are there easy things the federal government can do for you?”

“Well, I can tell you Danbury Hospital is at capacity, and they have 200 nurses on furlough because they were in contact,” Lamont explained. “If I could test those nurses, I could potentially get them back into the game…”

“Wait a second,” a clearly stunned Hayes cut in. “You’ve got 200 nurses sitting on the sidelines right now who can’t get back to work because they can’t be tested to confirm whether or not they have the virus?”

“Exactly,” Lamont confirmed, as Hayes slightly shook his head in amazement. “We have a surge in use, demand is going up and I’m losing nurses by the day that have to furlough themselves. That’s a priority for testing for me. Our testing capacity is going up incrementally and that the dangerous.”

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.