WASHINGTON - The U.S is now conducting more than 3 million coronavirus tests a week, a big improvement over the shortages that worsened the pandemic this spring. But the country risks another dangerous testing deficit this fall when schools and businesses try to reopen. Safely reopening schools and businesses could require up to 30 million tests per week, rather than the current 3 million, experts say. And if surging coronaviruses cases collide with flu season, the demand could be even higher.

The U.S. has enough testing capacity. The country will be able to test at least 40 million to 50 million people per month by September. But it’s not enough to meet the likely demand, given that the virus is still spreading in much of the country, according to a number of public health experts. These experts aren’t just worried about the number of tests that labs can process. They are concerned about the logistical challenges of testing so many people, and the lag in setting up adequate contact tracing to track who may have been exposed.

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