California to get more than 1,000 coronavirus testing kits

California public health labs will be getting new novel coronavirus detection kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said Friday.

© California Department of Public Health Coronavirus Testing

The state will “immediately receive” an additional shipment that could test up to 1,200 people, the California Department of Public Health said.

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“The availability to test at California’s public health laboratories is a significant step forward in our ability to respond rapidly to this evolving situation,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, in a statement. “As we face the likelihood of community transmission here in California, having this resource where we need it, is essential to better inform public health response and protect our communities.”

The tests will be used to do diagnostic testing for the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in the community.

“These new testing protocols and resources will help California medical experts identify and treat COVID-19 cases, trace potential exposures and better protect public health,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. “I am grateful to the CDC and federal government for quickly heeding our state’s requests and assisting California’s response to this evolving situation.”

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