WATCH LIVE: Governor Walz, Mayo, U of M Announce COVID-19 Testing Breakthrough

ST. PAUL, Minn.–Governor Tim Walz and representatives from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota are announcing a breakthrough for rapid, widespread testing of COVID-19 in Minnesota.

The new statewide testing strategy will assure that every person in the State with symptoms of COVID-19 will get tested.

The partnership is funded in part by $36 million from the COVID-19 Minnesota Fund and will have the potential to deliver 20,000 molecular and 15,000 serology tests every day.

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan says, “This expanded testing capacity will be transformative to our COVID-19 response, especially for vulnerable populations: individuals living in congregate care settings or experiencing homelessness; communities of color and American Indians; and critical workers. By testing more people, we will build a better picture of how COVID-19 is impacting our state and how to combat it. I am grateful to the extraordinary health care professionals at the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, and all of our health systems for making this partnership possible.”

The Mayo Clinic and the U of M are creating a central lab to accommodate the expanded testing.