DHHS Increases Coronavirus Testing Capacity, 8 Tests Pending

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Bureau of Laboratories has increased its testing capacity for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). DHHS says it can now test more than 300 Michiganders for the virus.

According to the World Health Organization, there are now more than 99,000 cases globally, and 3,400 deaths. There have been 148 cases and 14 deaths reported in the United States.

DHHS said in a Thursday news release that no COVID-19 cases have been reported yet in Michigan, but 16 people have been tested for the disease. So far, eight tests have come back negative and the other eight are pending.

Information about coronavirus is available on the DHHS website.

“We want Michiganders to know that their state laboratory is ready and able to provide testing for COVID-19,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at DHHS.

Michigan to net $14.5M in coronavirus aid passed by Congress.

The DHHS lab received additional test kits from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday and are undergoing a validation process and will likely be ready for use by the end of the week.

Additionally, the DHHS state lab is in the process of surveying hospital labs across the state to determine which labs wish to begin providing testing. A laboratory leadership service fellow has been requested from CDC to help Michigan hospitals with the validation process.

As previously reported by the Advance, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted this week to approve an $8.3 billion emergency COVID-19 package. Michigan will get $14.5 million to combat the spread of the disease if it appears in the state.

President Trump signed the package into law Friday morning.

This story was originally published by the Michigan Advance. For more stories from the Michigan Advance, visit MichiganAdvance.com.