Up to a million of Florida's COVID tests expired in a warehouse: "A complete failure"
CBSN
Florida officials admitted on Thursday that they had up to a million coronavirus test kits stored in a warehouse that expired just before New Year's Eve. The statement comes as Florida continues to be among those hardest hit by COVID-19, with some residents saying they are "desperate" to find tests.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat running for governor, first accused current Governor Ron DeSantis of stockpiling tests on December 30, saying that the Department of Health had a "significant number" of tests set to expire.
"With Omicron infections exploding throughout Florida, I beg of him to release these tests immediately to local counties and cities, and to stand up state-sponsored testing sites," Fried had said. "To let these tests expire while Floridians anxiously wait for hours in testing lines is negligent at best, and heartless at worst."