Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $9 Million in Funding to Expand COVID-19 Testing in Oregon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that over $9 million in federal funding is being made available to 30 hospitals, health facilities, and county governments throughout Oregon to expand coronavirus testing capacity.

“In our state and across America, coronavirus testing is still far too limited—a nightmare that is putting our families, neighbors, and frontline workers at greater risk,” said Merkley. “Expanding testing capacity is an integral step in our fight to treat, and eventually reopen, our communities.  I hope this winds up being a down payment on the national strategy and national resources for widespread testing and contact tracing that the country is desperately waiting for.”

“The lack of coronavirus test capacity throughout Oregon and nationwide leaves far too many people with uncertainty about this public health threat in their communities,”  Wyden said. “I am gratified these 30 medical providers in our state will receive these urgently needed resources to protect themselves and the Oregonians counting on them for care. And I won’t stop fighting until Oregonians can know with full confidence that a comprehensive testing program is in place statewide.”

Health centers will use this funding to expand the range of testing and testing-related activities to best address the needs of their local communities, including the purchase of personal protective equipment; training for staff, outreach, procurement and administration of tests; laboratory services; notifying identified contacts of infected health center patients of their exposure to COVID-19; and the expansion of walk-up or drive-up testing capabilities.

The funding, which was allocated by the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, is being distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as follows: