Trump, Pence Say Coronavirus Increase Due to Broad Testing

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said a flare-up of coronavirus recorded in several states is the result of broader testing for the disease, and Vice President Mike Pence said additional health workers may be deployed to combat the spikes.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the U.S. is reporting more cases of the disease because testing has expanded. The U.S. has now conducted nearly 24 million coronavirus tests, including more than 583,000 on Friday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, which compiles state data.

Coronavirus cases have jumped in states including Arizona, Texas and Florida after they took steps to ease social distancing restrictions put in place to stem the spread of the disease. But Pence said the spikes are the result of a “dramatic increase” in testing.

“We have made steady progress each and every day to putting the coronavirus in the past,” he said.

The U.S. has reported more than 2.1 million cases of Covid-19, including more than 25,000 new cases on Friday and Saturday. There were about 19,500 new cases reported Sunday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Pence said he’ll discuss deploying more Centers for Disease Control and Prevention personnel to states including Georgia, Arizona and Texas in a call with governors later Monday.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.