Michigan getting 3 million rapid COVID-19 tests from Trump administration
Reading, PA - October 13: A nurse puts a swab into a vial after administering a test. At the state run free COVID-19 testing site setup on Front Street in Reading, PA outside FirstEnergy Stadium Tuesday morning October 13, 2020. The site will be ther
(FOX 2) - Millions of COVID-19 tests are on their way to Michigan as part of President Donald Trump's national efforts to fight the pandemic.
Three million Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 point of care antigen tests are being sent to Michigan right now. This is the test that can diagnose a COVID-19 infection within as little as 15 minutes.
The tests will be distributed at the discretion of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to support testing K-12 students, teachers, nursing home patients and staff, higher education, critical infrastructure, first responders and other priorities as she deems fit.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the Trump Administration has shipped over 210,000 COVID-19 rapid tests directly to congregate care settings such as Michigan nursing homes, assisted living facilities and to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the state. As of October 26 over 873,000 BinaxNOW tests have been shipped to Michigan.
“To facilitate the continued re-opening of Michigan schools, businesses and economy, the Trump Administration has prioritized scaling up the state’s point of care testing capacity by making this $760 million national investment in BinaxNOW tests,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir, MD. “Distributing these rapid tests directly to states is consistent with the Trump Administration’s successful, ongoing approach of testing the right person, with the right test at the right time, is working and the effort will continue until the pandemic is under control.”
In preliminary feedback, the State of Michigan shared they have sent 45,000 tests to their long term care facilities, 12,000 to their Department of Corrections, 80,000 to psychiatric hospitals and also to the National Guard for training purposes.