As of July 15, more than 67 million Americans, or 20% of the U.S. population, lived in census tracts that are at least 10 miles from a Covid-19 testing location, according to a new analysis by GoodRx, a prescription drug discount site. All 50 states had at least one such “testing desert,” the site reports, while Texas, Ohio and Michigan had the largest number of them. Testing deserts are more common in low-income counties, the report finds.
The good news: Data collected by GoodRx show that from June 13 to July 16, more than 1,300 new testing sites were added nationwide, with Texas adding 293 and Arizona adding 121.
The bad news: Even after months of increasing testing, the U.S. isn’t where experts say it needs to be to combat the pandemic.
