State Health Officials Announce Partnership To Expand Okla.'s Capacity Of Coronavirus Testing, Results

The state health department is teaming up with a a private lab to increase the state's capacity for delivering results for COVID-19 tests, officials announced Friday.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is partnering up with Diagnostic Labs of Oklahoma. As a result of the partnership, more than 300 tests were shipped Thursday to DLO's lab in Dallas and results are expected to come in within the next few days.

The state's partnership will allow current demand for coronavirus test results to be met within a two- to three-day time frame. The public health laboratory will continue to prioritize its limited in-house supply for delivering results within 24-hours for Oklahoma's most vulnerable populations. 

Those populations are: 

• Where a cluster of individuals are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as a nursing home.
• Where a cluster of individuals are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as a nursing home.
• Individuals who are age 60 or older
• Children or adults who have compromised immune systems

“The Oklahoma State Department of Health appreciates the strengthened partnership with DLO to send COVID-19 test kits to its facilities in Dallas for rapid results,” said Commissioner of Health Gary Cox. “The state is committed to expanding testing and result capacity by building out more public-private partnerships here at home and across the United States. Thanks to action taken at the federal level, we are expecting more supplies to come online in the coming days to support our efforts."

Related: Oklahoma's Total Of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases Up To 49, Health Officials Report