Coronavirus In Minnesota: Gov. Walz Unveils Webpage For Where To Find Testing Sites
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Gov. Tim Walz has unveiled a new website where Minnesotans can find a COVID-19 testing site near them.
The site includes a map that features 127 different clinics and health care facilities that offer the tests.
"Access to COVID-19 testing is critical to moving Minnesota forward during this pandemic. This tool will help make our widespread testing initiative accessible to all Minnesotans, and it's a direct result of our partnership with the cutting-edge health care sector in Minnesota," Walz said.
The website is one of only a handful in the country, and will be continuously updated as more clinics develop the ability to test patients.
"This should really help us as we focus on making sure that we are testing tracing contacts and isolating in our communities," he said.
Walz said he would like testing centers to be close to every Minnesotan, so people don't have to travel hundreds of miles for a COVID-19 test. The interactive site also allows the state to coordinate with local public health and tribal organizations to make sure they are connected to the communities they serve.
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Earlier in the week, Walz announced the state reached a partnership with the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic to increase testing capacity in the state to up to 20,000 tests per day, a tenfold increase from the current high number of tests being performed.
On Wednesday, it wasn't immediately clear how soon the state would be able to reach that 20,000 benchmark.
Walz said on Friday that the state is not ready to offer every Minnesotan a test when they want one. Of the 87 counties in the state, 20 have no test site and there are only two in North Minneapolis, where testing sites could be quickly overwhelmed.
"Aggressive and expanded testing is an essential part of our overall strategy to mitigate this pandemic," Minnesota's health commissioner Jan Malcom said. "As we strive to reach our goal of testing up to 20,000 people per day, we must do everything we can to expand access points across the state. This work is literally saving lives."
The governor said the ability to increase testing and contact tracing will have an impact on whether to reopen the state on May 4 as currently planned.
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