[Will88]

Apparently, some limited testing for coronavirus has been going on before various locations around the US received their test kits. Samples sent to the CDC for testing. No infections found in Alabama to date.

Up until now, Alabama health officials sent all samples to the CDC for testing, but staff at the Alabama Department of Public Health are working to change that.

The state health department now has testing kits, said Dr. Karen Landers, area health officer for ADPH. Landers said the state lab is conducting a quality assurance process before running tests for the new virus. She said she did not know exactly when they would be able to run the tests in Alabama.

Problems delay testing for coronavirus in Alabama, but fix coming

So, most of the country hasn't been completely flying blind, though the testing ability has been very limited to this point.

[LilFarmer]

Georgia said they had been testing too.

[9YearLurker]

The states and others were prohibited from doing their own testing while the CDC sabotaged us by not testing to speak of either—until Trump finally reversed the regulation on that.