Colorado’s governor outlines strategy to increase COVID-19 testing capacity

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- With COVID-19 cases on a four-week rise in Colorado and long lines at testing locations, Gov. Jared Polis revealed a plan Thursday to increase the state's testing capacity.

"Let's stop this trend in Colorado," he said during a 45-minute news conference at the state capitol.

Polis said because of growing demand for testing and limited testing supplies, the wait for test results has grown from a few days to more than a week in some instances.

"That's why we, as Colorado, are taking matters into our own hands," he said. "A test result doesn't do you any good when it takes that long to come back."

Polis said the state will expand testing labs, increase testing, acquire more testing supplies and improve contact tracing -- the ability to determine how many people may have been exposed to a patient who tests positive for the virus.

"Our initial goal was 5,000 tests a day," Polis said. "But for the past week, we've been at 10,000 per day."

Colorado is even going as far as making an agreement with South Korea to acquire testing supplies.

"We can't wait for federal help or help from national suppliers," Polis said. "Many of them are overwhelmed by even higher testing demand in states like Arizona."

Still, he hopes some suppliers will step up to provide more support, and that the National Guard and Colorado State University will continue to conduct testing in long-term health care facilities.

"That's really important because around half of the 1,645 COVID deaths have been older patients and many of them lived in those facilities," he said.

Polis said the state also will rely on innovative methods, once they receive federal approval.

"We're evaluating an innovative saliva test developed at the University of Colorado," he said. "It has a 45-minute turnaround, and we are very excited about it. Once it's validated, we're hopeful it will bring us to the forefront."

Polis said schools will be included in the state's increased testing capacity, even though many school districts have yet to commit to returning to classroom learning this fall.

"Starting in mid-August and continuing for 10 weeks, we will supply one mask per week, per teacher, per school," he said. "That will be to every school in the state. We'll also see that clerks and other staff who face students every day get masks. It's important that we provide them with medical-grade masks."

There currently is no statewide protocol for testing at schools yet, Polis said, but testing for a school outbreak will be similar to that conducted in other group environments.

"Depending on how bad an outbreak is, we may have to test an entire school," he said. "But I'm hoping that won't be necessary."

Polis expects updated testing numbers within two weeks to more accurately reflect the statewide testing surge. He said funding from the federal CARES Act for COVID recovery will pay for expanded testing resources.

"We're also hoping the next stimulus package from Congress will provide more testing support," Polis said.

In a related matter, the governor responded to a lawsuit filed against the state by 200 restaurant and bar owners who disagree with the recent decision to shorten the last call for alcohol to 10 p.m. instead of the normal 2 a.m.

"I think it's an effective way to limit the spread of the virus," he said. "It's preventing the kind of social behavior where inhibitions drop associated with alcohol in a public environment. Maybe we'll go to midnight if we get the better numbers we're looking for. It's a temporary measure during a pandemic. The other option is to keep customers out entirely."