Governor Doug Burgum says data from this week's COVID-19 testing indicates North Dakota is still on an upward trend in cases of the virus - but so is the state's testing capabilities.
The last four days have produced record high numbers of positive cases, with today's 28 new positive cases a new all-time high. But Burgum says as North Dakota moves toward taking steps to re-open the state's economy, ramping up testing capacity will be a key component. And he says the state lab is making great strides. He says the lab can currently process 1,100 tests a day, and work is being done to double that capacity and beyond. He says no one should be turned away from getting a test for the novel coronavirus if they want one.
"If you're feeling like you need a test, we want you to get tested. We don't want to see any more stories on social media where people are saying, 'hey, I tried to get tested and couldn't,' there should be no reason for that because we do have enough testing capacity."
Burgum says if you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider and advocate for yourself to get tested. He also says the state is covering the costs of the tests, so financial burden should not deter anyone from getting tested.
