Pennsylvania now has the ability to test for coronavirus

The Pennsylvania Department of Health now has the ability to test for COVID-19 coronavirus at its lab in Exton, instead of having to send any potential specimens to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine made the announcement during a Tuesday afternoon briefing with reporters, saying that the capability will radically decrease the amount of time that it will take for specimens to be processed and determinations made.

There are no cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, but the state’s ability, along with the potential for hospitals and commercial labs to also receive test kits, will mean that more people who show symptoms of the upper respiratory virus could be tested.

“This is a very important step for us,” Levine said.

It will take less than a day to get responses, Levine said. But the same process, which would be a health care provider checking with the Department of Health before a test is done, will still be followed.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2020/03/03/pennsylvania-now-has-the-ability-to-test-for.html