HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock announced Monday that Montana has received 19,500 swabs and 9,000 viral transport medium from the federal government to bolster testing for COVID-19 in the state.
Gov. Bullock recently announced a goal of eventually conducting 60,000 tests per month, prioritizing vulnerable populations in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, tribal communities, while maintaining sufficient supplies to continue testing individuals symptomatic for COVID-19.
“As we continue on the path of reopening, it’s critical we have consistent access to supplies to identify new cases and ambitiously contact trace to remove chains of transmission and continue to contain the virus,” Governor Bullock said in a press release.
“I will continue to work with the federal government and private suppliers to ensure we receive the consistent supply chain we need to reach our testing targets.”
According to the press release, state officials worked with nursing homes and assisted living facilities last week on logistics for testing and test scheduling over the next several weeks.