Illinois short of coronavirus testing capacity goal, Governor J.B. Pritzker says
Illinois had not achieved its goal of having 10,000 COVID-19 tests available in the state by Wednesday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
Production just surpassed the 6,000 test threshold, despite promises of more the governor made 10 days ago.
Pritzker further said the state will not meet its goal by the end of the week. Scientists and other experts have recommended Illinois issue 10,000 tests to get the clearest picture of how prominent the virus is within the state.
Illinois had acquired five high-value automated machines that are supposed to process 200 tests per hour, Pritzker said, adding that the equipment has been distributed across the state’s three testing laboratories.
Pritzker said that those these extractors were expected to increase testing output by thousands per day, but have fallen short both in quantity and in accuracy.
“More importantly, the tests are not producing valid results that meets our exacting standards,” Pritzker said. “I am as imaptient as the rest of you are in wanting to increase testing, but I will not sacrifice accuracy for speed.”
Prtizker said researchers at the state’s universities would work to begin increasing testing capacity statewide - including producing its own materials.
“Our labs are creating our own raw materials instead of relying on the global supply chain, which is in disarray,” he said.
Statewide, positive cases reported reached 15,078 as of Wednesday. The death toll due to the pandemic is 462.
On Tuesday, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois Department of Public Health, said that 43 percent of coronavirus-positive patients who were surveyed reported that they had recovered seven days after their diagnosis. She also reported that 80 percent of the people who died from the virus were at least 60 years old.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded 45 Illinois health centers with $51.6 million in response to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday.
“Health center awardees in Illinois may use these funds to help their communities detect coronavirus; prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19; and maintain or increase health capacity and staffing levels to address this public health emergency,” the department said in a news release Wednesday.
The funds come as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27.
One of the 45 health centers that will receive funding is Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation, Inc. in East St. Louis, which has been allocated $2.3 million.
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