Federal government sending Georgia 3 million rapid COVID-19 tests through end of year

ATLANTA — President Donald Trump announced Monday that the federal government is shipping 150 million rapid tests to the states, and Channel 2 Action News has learned Georgia’s share will be 3 million.

“One hundred million point-of-care tests will be given to states and territories to support efforts to reopen their economies and schools immediately as fast as they can,” Trump said.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot has learned that Georgia will see 200,000 COVID-19 rapid tests per week for the rest of the year.

Gov. Brian Kemp’s office immediately issued a statement saying they were planning to prioritize who would get those tests first.

“With three-million rapid tests available by the end of the year, these tests will be prioritized to protect our most vulnerable citizens in long term care facilities, keeping kids and staff safely in school and support our measured, data-driven approach to moving Georgia forward,” Kemp’s office said.

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Right now, it takes days to get your test results back. But the rapid tests would take about 15 minutes. But, not everyone trusts their accuracy.

“I really come and get tested regularly, probably every two weeks,” said Neshanta Wilburn, who was getting a COVID-19 test at Wolf Creek Amphitheater.

Wilburn told Elliot that she gets tested a lot because her father lives with her and she has two young children.

State leaders say rapid testing is key to regaining confidence and to restart the economy.

But Wilburn said she’s not sure she trusts their accuracy because some of her friends have taken some before.

“I’ve known people that have gotten 15-minute tests and it was not accurate. So that’s why I question the accuracy,” Wilburn said.

“Did they actually have it, or actually didn’t?” Elliot asked Wilburn.

“They actually did,” Wilburn said.

State and health officials have told Elliot many times before that trust is going to be a big factor in these tests and in a possible vaccine.

If people don’t trust them, they won’t take them. And that, they say, would defeat the purpose.

Federal government sending Georgia 3 million rapid COVID-19 tests through end of year Channel 2′s Richard Elliot has learned that Georgia will see 200,000 COVID-19 rapid tests per week for the rest of the year.

Cox Media Group