Amid the push to get more COVID-19 testing in Johnson County, and after a lengthy question-and-answer session, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners approved up to $400,000 on Monday for additional testing in the county.
DR. NORMAN HOPESTHOSE TEST KITS WILLARRIVE LATER THIS WEEK.THIS COMES AMID A PUSHTO GET MORE COVID-19TESTING FOR ONE OF THEHARDEST HIT AREAS INTHE METRO.A SHORT TIME AGO -- THEJOHNSON COUNTY BOARDOF COMMISSIONERSAPPROVED UP TO 400-THOUSAND DOLLARS FORADDITIONAL COVID-19TESTING.41 ACTION NEWSINVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK JOINS US FROMTHE NEWSROOM - WITHHOW THAT MAY IMPACTYOU.THE MONEY AND VOTETODAY AUTHORIZES THECHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTYBOARD OFCOMMISSIONERS, WITHTHE CO-SIGNATURE OFTHE VICE-CHAIRMAN, TOENTER INTO CONTRACTSFOR AN ESTIMATED THREETO FIVE THOUSAND TESTRESULTS.THE IDEA IS TO GETENOUGH OF A SAMPLE INJOHNSON COUNTY TOUNDERSTAND HOW THEVIRUS IS SPREADING.IT'S ONE OF THE KEYS TOUNDERSTANDING HOWWIDESPREAD THECORONAVIRUS IS AND HOWTO CONTAIN IT.BUT THE STATE LABS INBOTH MISSOURI ANDKANSAS HAVE HAD TODEAL WITH A LIMITEDNUMBER OF TESTING KITSAS THE VIRUS HASSPREAD.AS A RESULT, TEST KITSAVAILABLE TO THOSESTATE GOVERNMENTSHAVE ONLY BEENPERFORMED ON VERY,VERY SICK PEOPLE.TODAY, DOCTOR LEENORMAN OF THE KANSASHEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID72 PERCENT OF THE TESTSIN THE STATE HAVE BEENDONE BY PRIVATE LABS.LAST WEEK, DOCTORNORMAN DISCUSSEDTHEIR CRITICAL ROLE.DOCTOR LEE NORMAN/KANSASHEALTH DEPARTMENT"PHYSICIANS IN THECLINICS ET CETERASHOULD NOT BERELUCTANT TO USE ACOMMERCIAL LAB.
IT'SJUST THAT WE CAN'T BURNTHROUGH ALL OURTESTING MATERIALS.
WECAN'T ALLOW THAT TOHAPPEN."ANDY ALCOCK/41 ACTION NEWS"QUEST DIAGNOSTICS ISPERFORMING COVID-19TESTS IN 12 LABS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY, INCLUDINGTHIS FACILITY HERE INLENEXA.
AS OF THIS PASTMONDAY, QUEST HASPERFORMED ANDREPORTED RESULTS OF106-THOUSAND TESTS ANDTHAT NUMBER ISEXPECTED TO GROWSIGNIFICANTLY."A QUEST SPOKESWOMANTOLD US, 1750 EMPLOYEESWORK AT THE LENEXAFACILITY.COMPANY WIDE, 30THOUSAND COVID 19TESTS ARE NOW BEINGPERFORMED DAILY WITH AFOUR TO FIVE DAYTURNAROUND TIME FORAND THAT QUEST ISCURRENLTY DOING 44PERCENT OF THE TESTINGNATIONWIDE.A SPOKESMAN FORLABCORP SAYS THATCOMPANY WITH METROLOCATIONS IS NOWPERFORMING 20-THOUSAND TESTS DAILY,BUT ONLY WITH A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER'S ORDER.AND ABBOTT LABS, ALSOKANSAS CITY, IN THE NEXTWEEK IS DISTRIBUTINGNEW KITS TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WHICHCAN GET RESULTS IN 5MINUTES.THE COMPANY ISWORKING TO DELIVER 50-THOUSAND KITS PER DAYTO THE HARDEST HITAREAS OF THE COUNTRY.ONE POTENTIAL CLIENTFOR ALL THESECOMPANIES IS JOHNSONCOUNTY GOVERNMENT.MONDAY -COMMISSIONERSAPPROVED UP TO $400-THOUSAND DOLLARS TOGET ADDITIONAL TESTINGFOR THE COUNTY."Some good news to shareactuallyWe... at this moment in time, wehaveabout two weeks supply of testkits."AT THE MEETING, IT WASREVEALED A DEAL FORTEST KITS WITH A SINGLEUNNAMED VENDOR FELLTHROUGH ON SUNDAY.BUT NEW EFFORTS TOFIND MULTIPLE VENDORSWILL NOW BEGIN.WE MENTIONED JOHNSONCOUNTY IS ONE OF THEHARDEST HIT PARTS OFTHE METRO AREA.IT HAS THE MOST CASESOF ANY COUNTY IN THESTATE OF KANSAS AND ISSECOND IN THE METROAREA ONLY TO JACKSONCOUNTY WITH AT LEAST116 CASES.
Tammy Easton joins us to talk about how Cameron Regional Medical is testing patients for the coronavirus
