'This is a game changer:' Gov. Mills to expand coronavirus testing in Maine
Source: WGME
"Governor Janet Mills announced Thursday that the state has secured a major expansion of COVID-19 testing for Maine. She said the state has partnered with Maine-based IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. to purchase enough of the companys recently authorized COVID-19 testing kits to more than triple the states testing capacity. This will soon allow anyone in Maine suspected of having COVID-19 to receive a test. Mills said they are buying enough of these test kits to run at least 5,000 tests per week for the foreseeable future."
Read more: https://wgme.com/news/coronavirus/gov-mills-to-expand-coronavirus-testing-in-maine
Some good news in Maine. Nice also that the state is supporting a Maine business for this.
Evolve Dammit
(16,632 posts)Texin
(2,585 posts)sheshe2
(83,324 posts)Will most likely be his pick up gal.
GreenPartyVoter
(72,377 posts)sheshe2
(83,324 posts)Texin
(2,585 posts)You know, the one marked "His Royal Highass".
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,538 posts)CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)The only thing teabilly governor LePage expanded was himself.
matt819
(10,749 posts)There are no game changers. There are small steps, forward and back.
Also, if the prerequisite is having symptoms or being a health care worker, this is neither a step forward or backward. Its just a bit of news.
I gave no symptoms. Am I infected? No one seems to care all that much.
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)This what it has been up to now.
At least one of the following is present, potentially attributable to a respiratory viral illness:
Fever
Sore Throat
Cough
Shortness of Breath
Muscle Aches
And at least one of the following:
Is a patient in the hospital
Emergency department patient requiring admission
High risk patients*
Health care workers and first responders
*High Risk is defined as:
Age ? 60
Severe chronic lung disease (e.g. asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, COPD, etc.)
Severe heart disease
Immunocompromised (those with weakened immune systems)
On immunocompromising medications (e.g. prednisone, chemotherapy, mycophenolate, cyclosporine, azathioprine, tacrolimus, TNF inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, etc.)
Living in a congregate setting (e.g. long-term care facilities, group homes, assisted living facilities, jails, shelters, etc.)
captain jack
(316 posts)I assume FEMA has already been dispatched to intercept these, in the interest of....?
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)That was the headline at the news site.
ancianita
(35,812 posts)evidence that the Westbrook animal health company's subsidiary, Opti Medical Systems of Roswell, GA, has not been influenced by the governor's corona politics, either.
The link to that report is a paywall. Not surprised.
Here's Opti Systems' own site page.
https://www.optimedical.com
Good luck, Governor Mills.
patphil
(6,028 posts)That's about 700 per day in a state with 1.33 million people.
5000 a week is only 260,000 in 1 year. Not even enough to cover health care workers and first responders who need to be tested on a regular basis.
They need to do at least 10 times that number.
ancianita
(35,812 posts)Hope I'm wrong and Gov Mills is right.
The whole thing feels like some slick corporate lab move.
soryang
(3,299 posts)testing alone doesn't change much in terms of the spread of the virus unless its part of a trace and track plan.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)that have had the least amount of cases, so good news for them.
https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/en