Change in U.S. CDC testing guidelines sparks controversy

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its COVID-19 testing guidelines, no longer recommending testing for most people without symptoms, which has sparked controversy as experts warn it may hamper the timely identification of asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19.

That is a stark change from the previous CDC guidance, which emphasized the importance of testing people who were in close contact with infected people.

The governors of several states said they would not reduce testing as recommended by the CDC, a change many health officials say was based on political pressure and not science.

Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey and New York all plan to continue to test asymptomatic people who have been exposed to COVID-19.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state of New York would not be abiding by the new guidance and challenged the assertion that politics played no role in the change.

"This 180-degree reversal of COVID-19 testing guidelines is reckless, and not based on science and has the potential to do long-term damage to the (CDC's) reputation," Cuomo said in a joint statement, along with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut, who also said their states would not be following the CDC's guidance.