Coronavirus testing in the US has been widely debated in the last week and Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has claimed America is failing to provide for its people.

Speaking at a House hearing concerning Covid-19 on 12 March, Dr Fauci said that the country’s health system hindered widespread testing.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” said Dr Fauci, “that is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

In the time since Dr Fauci's claims, US president Donald Trump has tested negative for Covid-19 and cases have risen, with 3,485 diagnosed and 65 deaths recorded so far.

Independent researchers, The Covid Tracking Project estimate that only 38,631 people have been tested in the US, with levels varying in each state.

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Washington have tested the most, with 10,220 tests, while only 74 people have been checked for Covid-19 in Delaware.

Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health has said that testing will ramp up in the US starting from this week, telling reporters “we are now in a new phase of testing.”

Everything you need to know about testing in the US is below:

Where can you get tested?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update a map showing locations of testing centres on a daily basis.

It shows that all 50 states are testing for coronavirus, but the territories, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are in progress with getting it set up.

“As of the evening of March 10, 79 state and local public health labs in 50 states and the District of Columbia have successfully verified and are currently using Covid-19 diagnostic tests,” reads their website.

When should you get tested?

The CDC advise that if you come into close contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus, that you should “call your healthcare provider” who will decide whether you need to go into testing.

They advise that if someone is at a higher risk of developing a serious illness that they should contact their healthcare provider early.

The CDC list older people and those with heart disease, diabetes and lung disease as those most at risk and state that they should attempt to get tested early.

However, if someone is seriously ill, then they should go to their local hospital to get tested and get the help they need.

How can you get tested?

The first thing to do before getting tested is to contact your state health department.

Each state has different policies on getting tested and the department and their website are the most useful tools for finding the nearest testing centre and working out if you qualify.