ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday expanded testing for the coronavirus and a shorter wait time for the results is on the way. The governor said the Georgia Department of Public Health has entered into a new agreement with Mako Medical that will increase testing capacity by 10,000 per day.
"Georgia has dramatically expanded testing since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," Kemp was quoted as saying in a release to FOX 5. "As demand for testing has soared across the country, many private labs have been unable to process tests quick enough to aid in contact tracing and mitigation efforts. "
Kemp said as part of the agreement, the average wait time for test results should drop to about 48 hours. That’s a significant cut in turnaround for tests that have seen results lag up to a week.
“With some Georgians waiting well over a week for their results, the status quo is unacceptable. This new partnership will not only expand the number of tests the state is able to administer, but also greatly reduce the turnaround time of those tests. This is vital to Georgia's efforts in our fight against COVID-19," Kemp was quoted as saying in a release to FOX 5.
"As we continue our efforts to combat COVID-19, expanded and streamlined testing is absolutely crucial," said Kathleen Toomey, M.D, M.P.H., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. "Our contract with Mako Medical will boost test processing capabilities and enable our army of contact tracers to respond quicker to newly identified cases."
No word on when the new agreement will be integrated into the testing system.
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