Virginia’s COVID-19 testing capacity is getting a boost.
Sentara Healthcare is one of three medical labs joining the Department of General Services and the Virginia Department of Health’s new OneLab Network, according to a news release.
This partnership connects with local health systems to uplift necessary coronavirus prevention efforts and research, including outbreak investigations as well as large-scale testing.
Sentara Lab Services will focus on testing residents of the eastern region of Virginia for the VDH with the partnership’s funding.
Sentara began in-house testing in early April at the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with the goal of completing 1,000 tests a day with return results within 24 to 48 hours. They have since surpassed this goal at roughly 1,200 tests a day.
After securing more supplies and equipment, Sentara hopes to increase their COVID-19 testing capabilities to 2,200 tests a day.
Those upgrades are especially useful in a time when cases are rising, the holidays are approaching, and health systems are expecting an increase in general respiratory illnesses and infections, Sentara officials said.
More information about Virginia’s OneLab Network can be found here.
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