Since that time, Georgia has received usable kits.
Coronavirus testing ramps up in Georgia
By Beau Evans Staff Writer Capitol Beat News Service Mar 5, 2020ATLANTA — State health officials stepped up testing for coronavirus in Georgia on Thursday following confirmation earlier this week of the state’s first two cases. Gov. Brian Kemp said late Thursday afternoon that no new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed so far after two people tested positive for the virus Monday night. Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the state’s public health commissioner, said the risk remains low for an outbreak in Georgia and there are no signs now that the virus is spreading within local communities.
But as health officials begin testing more people arriving in Georgia from other countries, Toomey said she expects more confirmed cases could surface. “We expect we will ultimately find more positive cases,†Toomey said at a news conference Thursday. “The more you test, the more you find.â€
Georgia’s state lab began testing for the virus Thursday, tripling the number of diagnostic tests the state has conducted so far, Toomey said. She did not give a specific count of how many tests were done before Thursday but said it was a “small number.â€
The state now has more than 2,500 diagnostic test kits on hand from the federal government capable of completing 1.5 million individual tests, Kemp said.Anyone in the state will be able to receive testing regardless of the status of their health insurance, Toomey said. “If you are uninsured, we will provide the test for free,†she said.
https://www.mdjonline.com/news/coronavirus-testing-ramps-up-in-georgia/article_3d111660-5f2c-11ea-9587-9364b046b597.html