TestIowa sites to add 200 appointments as COVID-19 test demand grows
Gov. Kim Reynolds shared updates Thursday on the TestIowa program as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to surge across the state.
Reynolds said during a COVID-19 news conference that the five TestIowa sites combined can test 4,040 Iowans per day.
According to the governor, 37,000 Iowans tested positive for the virus between Nov. 1-12. Iowa’s statewide COVID-19 positivity rate sits above 20%.
Iowa and currently the statewide positivity rate sits higher than 20%.
“We’re seeing significant community spread across our entire state, both in our metro and rural communities,” Reynolds said. “COVID-19 does not discriminate based on geography. The virus is present in all of our communities, and all of us can help stop its spread.”
Reynolds said Iowa’s five TestIowa sites will add 200 appointments per day to help meet demand.
“When combined with the clinic sites and the university and college partnerships, TestIowa has generated more than 6,000 tests a day -- proving to be a valuable in our state response to COVID-19.
Reynolds said she believes flattening the COVID-19 curve cannot be done by legislation alone. On Tuesday, she announced mitigation efforts that stopped short of issuing a statewide mask mandate.
"There just is community spread and it's happening across the state, and, so we're recognizing that,” Reynolds said. “That's why we've put in additional mitigation efforts.”
The Des Moines metro is limited to one TestIowa site.
Reynolds said the lone TestIowa site can handle up to 1,000 tests per day and that Iowans struggling to get an appointment can seek other options.
