Ron DeSantis Says Nearly a Million Covid Tests Were Allowed to Expire in State Stockpile

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed a significant number of coronavirus tests to expire in the state’s stockpile.

“We had between 800,000 and a million test kits, Abbott rapid test kits, in our warehouse that did expire,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie during a Thursday press conference. He noted that they expired “before December 26 to December 30.”

During the press conference, DeSantis claimed the demand at the time was low.

“They’ve been sending them out as requested, there was no withholding anything,” said DeSantis. “There just weren’t a lot of requests in September, October, November.”

“If they’re not accurate, we don’t want to send out inaccurate tests,” he added. “But they already were extended in September, there wasn’t a lot of demand for them. They’ve been sending them out as requested, there was no withholding anything.”

DeSantis announced that approximately a million at-home tests have been sent by the state to nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.

As of Thursday, Florida has been experiencing a seven-day average of 56,661 coronavirus cases. During the pandemic overall, the state has experienced 4.49 million cases and 62,622 deaths. At least 75 percent of the state’s population of more than 22 million has gotten at least one Covid vaccination dose, while 64 percent is fully vaccinated. At least 95 percent of those age 65 or older million has gotten at least one Covid vaccination dose, while 89 percent of those in that category is vaccinated.