Georgia universities to start processing over 3,000 coronavirus test samples every day, governor says
A group of universities in the state of Georgia will now aid state labs in processing coronavirus, or COVID-19, test kits, Governor Brian Kemp announced Tuesday.
Called a “laboratory surge capacity plan,” this new initiative utilizes the labs and resources already under the University System of Georgia, Georgia Public Health Laboratory and Emory University.
The ramp-up begins Tuesday. Upon implementation, labs will process over 3,000 samples per day, according to a release from Kemp’s office.
“Adequate testing for COVID-19 has continued to be a top priority for the Coronavirus Task Force as we fight this pandemic,” Kemp said. “With this innovative partnership between state government agencies, our world-class research institutions, and private-sector partners, we will be able to dramatically increase testing capacity.”
The Laboratory Surge Capacity Task Force is working with Georgia Department of Public Health to effectively integrate this new capability into the existing public health response.
Partners in this effort include:
- Georgia Department of Public Health
- Georgia Public Health Laboratory
- Georgia Emergency Management Agency
- Georgia National Guard
- Augusta University of the Health Sciences
- Georgia State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Georgia Tech Research Institute
- University of Georgia
- Emory University
