U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan state Rep. Andrea Schroeder of Clarkston, and Oakland County Executive David Coulter have collaborated through a multi-governmental, bipartisan effort to secure additional COVID-19 testing resources for hard-hit Oakland County.
Together, the bipartisan group of officials, from the federal, state and county levels, are calling for additional rapid testing machines in Oakland County made by Abbott Laboratories. The drive included three letters: to Abbott executives; U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peer Gaynor; and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The letters stressed the importance of rapidly expanding testing capacity in the county.
“To combat this crisis, officials at the federal, state, and county level have combined their efforts to develop a plan to test priority populations in an efficient, effective manner,” the three write to Azar. “Working together with local health care providers and hospitals, they have created a comprehensive multi-site strategy that can accommodate testing for all of the county’s first responders. Based on our population and the best available computer modeling, we assess we need at least six Abbott ID Now machines and 12,000 of the test kits placed at three different locations throughout the county.”
Abbott describes its ID Now testing machines as capable of delivering positive COVID-19 test results in as little as five minutes and negative results within 15 minutes. Two of the machines have been delivered to Oakland County, but the county estimates it needs at least six for its population of more than 1.2 million people. The leaders seek four additional machines, plus a regular supply of testing kits. That additional testing capability is essential, public health experts say, to relaxing “stay home” orders and resuming economic activity.
As of April 23, Oakland County had 6,463 reported COVID-19 cases and more than 500 deaths, making it one of the hardest-hit counties in the nation.
“Oakland County has been hit especially hard by this virus,” Slotkin said. “The county has worked effectively with leaders at the federal, state and local level to plan for a rapid expansion of tests that will help fight the disease and that is key to the reopening of our shops and factories that we are all working toward. We cannot resume our jobs and open our schools and get back to normal without robust testing capabilities. And it’s imperative that all of us in Michigan work together, regardless of party affiliation and across levels of government, to secure the testing capacity we need.”
Schroeder said the effort would improve and speed up testing results countywide, including an effort to help test EMT personnel, firefighters, police and other first responders across Oakland County.
“Sadly, nearly everyone in Oakland County likely knows someone who has died, taken ill or lost a job due to this horrible virus,” Schroeder said. “More testing with faster results is critical to winning this battle against COVID-19 – and the brave men and women who work to protect us every day are among those in need of the testing. I am hopeful this collaborative, bipartisan effort will deliver the testing capacity that all of Oakland County desperately needs and deserves.”
“It is vital to collaborate at all levels of government in the fight against COVID-19, especially when it comes to testing,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “Testing is critical to understanding the spread of the virus in the community and will enable us to make more effective decisions about a phased reopening of the economy.”