A Pennsylvania state laboratory is now able to handle about six tests per day for a new coronavirus that is sickening people across the globe, state health officials said Tuesday.
The state's health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, said getting test results from the state-run lab in Exton is reducing the turn-around time significantly, making them typically available within about a day.
Levine encouraged people who fear they may have the COVID-19 illness to call their doctor or hospital. Those health care workers can determine the next steps and take a sample if testing is necessary.
The state lab is waiting for equipment that should increase its testing capacity, she said.
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Levine said private labs are also likely to soon get federal permission to perform testing.
There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, where testing and tracking began about a month ago. There have been more than 100 COVID-19 cases in the United States and six deaths, all in Washington state.
