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The federal government is ending its support for 13 drive-thru coronavirus testing sites on June 30, urging states to take over their operations — even as cases spike in several parts of the country.

The sites, which HHS says are spread across five states, are the remnants of a larger federal testing program established early in the pandemic. Seven sites are in Texas, which is experiencing record numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

The background: In March, HHS and FEMA set up 4 testing sites in 12 states. During the height of the pandemic, in early April, HHS tried to offload control of the drive-thru sites to states. The department reversed course after governors objected.

Reaction: Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, says it's not the right time to shift responsibility for the sites — especially those near emerging hot spots in Texas — to states.

“The federally supported testing sites remain critically needed, and in some place like Houston and Harris County, TX and in other hotspots, are needed now more than ever,” Becker said in an email. “This is not the time for the federal government to walk back prior commitments on testing.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was also critical of the plan. "It's pretty clear to me, and I think it's clear to all of us, that with the uptick of cases, now is not the time to retreat from our vigilance in testing," he said. "I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas, at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed."

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The Trump administration is reversing its decision to cut federal support for five drive-thru coronavirus testing sites in Texas this month after a formal request from Gov. Greg Abbott and criticism from Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

Texas is grappling with rapidly expanding coronavirus outbreaks in several parts of the state. The number of people hospitalized with the virus and the percentage of positive test results are both climbing, signaling the severity of the situation.

“I thank our federal partners for extending these operations in Texas, and for their flexibility in allocating their resources to the communities of Dallas and Houston that are experiencing a high number of COVID-19 cases right now,” Abbott said in a statement.

But there's a catch: Federal coronavirus testing czar Brett Giroir said HHS will continue funding the Texas sites for two weeks past the previously announced June 30 cutoff. What happens after that point isn't clear.

“We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 diagnoses and assess the need for further federal support of these sites as we approach the extension date,” Giroir said.

HHS spokesperson Mia Heck said Texas only requested an extension for five of the seven drive-thru testing sites that are still receiving federal support. The federal government is still set to end funding in late June for six sites spread across four other states: Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.