U.S. health agency says some exposed to COVID-19 do not need test, reversing course

That is a reversal from the CDC's previous position recommending testing for all close contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19. U.S. government health officials said during a call with reporters on Wednesday that the guidelines should not be interpreted as "inhibiting public health." They said the new guidelines were a collaboration between the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the two other agencies. The Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of testing for COVID-19, with many states falling short of the volume of tests needed to contain the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention narrowed its guidance for who should get tested for COVID-19 this week, saying people who were exposed but are not symptomatic may not need to be tested. That is a reversal from the CDC's previous position recommending testing for all close contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19.

U.S. government health officials said during a call with reporters on Wednesday that the guidelines should not be interpreted as "inhibiting public health." They said the new guidelines were a collaboration between the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the two other agencies.

The Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of testing for COVID-19, with many states falling short of the volume of tests needed to contain the virus. It has also been criticized for wielding too heavy a hand with the CDC on previous guidelines such as for schools reopening. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Wednesday that the move looked political. "This is not science. It's politics."