RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it’s sending nearly 3.2 million rapid coronavirus tests to North Carolina.
The Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 point of care antigen tests can diagnose coronavirus infection in as little as fifteen minutes.
The tests will be distributed at the discretion of Gov. Roy Cooper to support testing K-12 students, teachers, nursing home patients and staff, higher education, critical infrastructure, first responders, and other priorities, the department said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has sent over 552,000 COVID-19 rapid tests directly to congregate care settings such as North Carolina nursing homes, assisted living facilities and to historically black colleges and universities in the state.
As of Oct. 26 over 1,320,000 BinaxNOW tests have been shipped to North Carolina, the department said.
Feature photo by Sandhills Sentinel Photographer John Patota.
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