University of Minnesota to Ask For $20 Million to Expand COVID-19 Testing

On Thursday, the University of Minnesota said it will ask the state legislature for $20 million to allow it to dramatically expand statewide testing for both COVID-19 and whether people have developed antibodies to it.

The university said in a statement that it’s preparing to conduct around 10,000 antibody and 10,000 virus tests per day to identify Minnesotans who currently have the disease, those who have recovered and may now be immune to it, and those who remain at risk. Mayo Clinic officials have said they’re ready to launch a similar testing ramp-up.

Testing on that scale would allow the state to meet Governor Walz’s goal of conducting 40,000 tests per week, which he said is a necessary condition for restarting the state’s economy.