Sen. Rubio on the coronavirus: ‘The lack of testing kits has been problematic’

FLORIDA — On Saturday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott criticized what he called a lack of transparency from the state, but Sen. Marco Rubio says the need for more test kits is the bigger problem.

“I haven’t had a problem with the transparency. I mean, from what I have seen, obviously, the lack of testing kits has been problematic.”

Sen. Rubio tells Action News Jax one of his biggest worries right now is that there won’t be enough coronavirus test kits here in Florida.

“The CDC I think was two to three weeks too late in mass deploying these test kits. You would want to see this test not just available at the state laboratories, you want to see them available at doctors’ offices, you want to see them available in emergency rooms,” explains Sen. Rubio.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says all three state labs, including Jacksonville, are testing for the virus and now both Labcorp and Quest labs will start running tests.

Sen. Rubio says, “... meaning the same people that do your blood work when you go to your doctor.”

And the health department is working to get all CLIA certified labs in the state to begin testing.

Anti-viral treatment is also in the works and should be available in the next 45 days.

Sen. Rubio says its important to hopefully lower the numbers of deaths.

“If we can develop an effective anti-viral treatment we’re going to save lives.”

This antiviral treatment is not a vaccine, it’s rather a medication to help elderly or compromised patients fight off the virus.

Sen. Rubio says it will be close to a year if not longer until a vaccine is ready.​

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