Although Donald Trump and members of his administration have been presenting US coronavirus testing in a positive light, Sen Mitt Romney (R-Utah) put it in a more accurate perspective which isn’t so rosy.

In the United States there have been some 1.4 million reported cases, including 83,564 deaths, according to the most recent figures.

Testing for the virus became a flashpoint this week as the subject became the main topic at a White House briefing held in the Rose Garden.

“I understand that politicians are going to frame data in a way that’s most positive politically because they expect that from admirals, but yesterday you celebrated we had done more tests per capita even than South Korea, but you ignored fact that they accomplished theirs at the beginning of the outbreak while we treaded water during February and March and as a result by March 6 the U.S. had completed just 2,000 tests whereas South Korea had conducted more than 140,000 tests,” Romney told Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, who led the discussion of testing at the White House briefing with Trump, during a Senate hearing.

“So partially as a result of that they have 256 deaths and we have almost 80,000 deaths. I find our testing record nothing to celebrate whatsoever,” Romney added.

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