(Indianapolis, IN) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is sending 2,020,000 state-of-the-art Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 point of care antigen tests to the State of Indiana. The rapid point of care tests, which can diagnose coronavirus infection in as little as fifteen minutes, will be distributed at the discretion of Governor Eric Holcomb to support testing K-12 students, teachers, nursing home patients and staff, higher education, critical infrastructure, first responders, and other priorities as he deems fit.

 

Approximately 358,000 COVID-19 rapid tests have been sent directly to congregate care settings, such as Indiana nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the state.   As of October 26 over 926,000 BinaxNOW tests have been shipped to Indiana.

 

“To facilitate the continued re-opening of Indiana schools, businesses and economy, the Trump Administration has prioritized scaling up the state’s point of care testing capacity by making this $760 million national investment in BinaxNOW tests,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir, MD.

 

In preliminary feedback, the State of Indiana shared they have already sent 243,000 of the BinaxNOW tests directly to long term care facilities.  Governor Holcomb is planning to deploy BinaxNOW tests to K-12 schools to tests students along with strike teams to support school events.  The state will also prioritize the Department of Corrections and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment-waived sites in orange and red counties.

 

Giroir pointed out that testing does not substitute for avoiding crowded indoor spaces, washing one’s hands, or wearing a mask when not able to physically distance. “Combining personal responsibility with smart testing is a foundational pillar of the Administration’s national testing strategy.”