State works to increase testing capacity

More kits for tribal clinics part of the effort

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday that Wisconsin is taking big steps to increase COVID-19 testing capacity throughout the state.

Working with the Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network, the state has grown the number of labs performing COVID-19 tests from just eight labs one month ago to 36.

The state plans to continue public-private partnerships to add more labs and more testing capacity in the days and weeks ahead. However, in order to sustain the existing and expanded clinical lab network’s efforts, the state will need federal partnership to ensure availability of reagent and other critical supplies in Wisconsin.

This week, plans are in place to greatly accelerate testing in Wisconsin, including:

• The state is working with tribal partners to ensure that their communities receive testing they need. Starting this week, 1,000 tests will be delivered per week to tribal health clinics.

• Exact Sciences is devoting a significant portion of its lab capacity and resources to COVID-19 tests processing. This will enable them to provide the state with approximately 20,000 tests and processing each week, which will be distributed to health care systems throughout the state.

• Epic is providing assistance in its effort to distribute Exact Sciences’ tests by providing the interoperability necessary to connect health care providers with Exact to ensure timely processing of tests and reporting of test results.

• Promega is providing major support by sourcing high demand reagents and materials for a number of labs in the state, including Exact Sciences’ lab. In addition to these materials, they’ve also shared equipment and provided invaluable problem-solving skills.

• This week, Marshfield Clinic Health System will be working on ramping up to process 10,000 tests per week from providers around the state.

• About 2,200 test collection supplies and PPE are headed to Green Bay in response to an outbreak with significant risk potential to the community.

Through additional procurement efforts by the state, Wisconsin will be receiving over 250,000 additional test collection supplies in the coming weeks.

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