A doctor in protective suite waits for patients in a special tent for coronavirus disease cases near a hospital in Lublin, Poland, March 23, 2020. (Jakub Orzechowski, Agencja Gazeta/Reuters)

Coronavirus testing dropped off yesterday to 190,000 from nearly 300,000 on Saturday. While the number of tests administered Monday remains above last week’s levels, the decline casts doubt on whether this past weekend’s increases are sustainable.

The White House released updated guidance on COVID-19 testing yesterday, which calls for states to develop testing plans and rapid response programs in coordination with the federal government.

Fewer patients tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday than on any other day in April. That decline is likely due to a combination of decreased transmission and lower testing numbers.

Deaths are arguably the most reliable measure of the severity of the outbreak, because the number of deaths is not confounded by testing shortages. Yesterday’s death toll was among the lowest in April. Hospitalization numbers suggest that the daily death toll will continue to decline.