Business leaders urge Trump to dramatically increase coronavirus testing (WSJ)

During first call to discuss reopening country, executives tell president more testing is needed to convince public to return to work.

WASHINGTON — Banking and financial services executives told President Trump that his administration needed to dramatically increase the availability of coronavirus testing before the public would be confident enough to return to work, eat at restaurants or shop in retail establishments, according to people familiar with the matter.

The push for more testing came in the first of four Wednesday phone calls that Mr. Trump held with business executives on his newly formed task force to reopen the economy. The president has been intensely focused on the topic amid increasingly dire economic data; Wednesday brought reports that retail sales and U.S. industrial production dropped dramatically in March.

No potential dates for easing coronavirus restrictions were discussed, and no follow-up meeting was scheduled. The task force, known formally as the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, includes more than 200 business and political leaders, who have been divided into smaller groups based on their industry.

The people involved in the first call, which included executives from banking, financial services, food and beverage, hospitality and retail industries, described current testing levels in the U.S. as inadequate to effectively reopen the economy.

Some executives suggested that they were attempting to secure their own virus testing kits for employees and possibly customers as well, the people said…

The read the entire article from The Wall Street Journal, click https://www.wsj.com/articles/business-leaders-tell-trump-to-dramatically-increase-coronavirus-testing-11586974130?tesla=y&mod=article_inline

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