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Cuyahoga County gives $5 million to provide 30,000 coronavirus tests

'These tests will determine if people are currently infected, not if they’ve had the disease in the past.'

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Board of Health is getting a funding boost to increase coronavirus testing.

The county government is giving $5 million to help provide 30,000 COVID-19 tests.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish announced the funding during a press conference Friday morning.

“These tests will determine if people are currently infected, not if they’ve had the disease in the past," Budish said. "They will focus on priority groups in the community."

Budish said testing will focus on priority groups and hot spots or clusters detected by the County Board of Health. Congregate facilities will also be prioritized, including homeless shelters, community health centers, adult homes for those with developmental disabilities, churches, nursing homes if not already affiliated with another provider and other neighborhood sites.”

MetroHealth will conduct the testing in drive-thru locations and mobile testing sites.

“Since March, teams of MetroHealth physicians and nurses have tested and cared for people living in homeless shelters, on the streets in camps, nursing homes and group homes -- places where social distancing is very difficult,” said MetroHealth President and CEO, Akram Boutros, MD. “In partnership with Cuyahoga County and the Board of Health, we are ready to expand this important work across the county."

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