White House Task Force Addresses Coronavirus Testing Problems

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a briefing on the administration's coronavirus response in the press briefing room of the White House in Washington, on March 3, 2020. Standing with Pence, from L to R, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Debbie Birx, White House Corona Virus Response Coordinator, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—The White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, has ramped up efforts to expand the country’s testing capacities, which are critical for detecting and fighting the virus that causes COVID-19.

“We are addressing the testing issue in a variety of ways,” Pence said on March 3 during a press briefing at the White House in response to complaints about lack of testing capacity.