Expanded COVID-19 testing is coming to the Emporia area thanks to a partnership between Newman Regional Health, Lyon County Public Health and the city of Emporia.
Testing for asymptomatic close contacts of positive COVID-19 patients is now available through late December. The testing process is being made possible through $105,000 in CARES/SPARK funding through the city of Emporia.
Newman Regional Health Infection Preventionist Esther Knobloch says the expanded testing effort will help to quickly identify cases that could eventually result in a large outbreak in the community.
Both Newman Regional Health and Lyon County Public Health will request that any close contacts seek testing no later than five days after exposure. Close contacts will be contacted by a hospital representative to schedule a time for testing in the same time period. Results should be available within 24 to 48 hours after testing.
Knobloch says even if a test comes back negative, it is still vitally important close contacts complete a 14-day quarantine period.
The new testing effort was announced the same day as Governor Laura Kelly announced the state will be receiving additional COVID-19 rapid testing kits from the federal level. Last week Vice President Mike Pence along with federal health professionals announced the government would be distributing 100 million Avid COVID-19 rapid tests across the country.
According to Governor Kelly, the state of Kansas will be receiving 870,000 of those tests. She adds the first shipment has already arrived containing 50,000 tests with additional shipments expected to arrive over the next three months.
For more information on Newman Regional Health or Lyon County Public Health visit their respective websites at NewmanRH.org or Publichealth.Lyoncounty.org/COVID-19.
