HHS to Invest $650M in COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Testing

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week announced it will invest $650 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to strengthen manufacturing capacity for quick, high-quality diagnostic testing through rapid point-of-care molecular tests.

HHS notes as at-home testing increases, the need for follow-up testing in health care settings will also grow. This investment is intended to ensure confirmatory tests conducting at a health facility will be readily available across the country. HHS will use the $650 million in funds to ramp up U.S. domestic manufacturing capacity, minimizing reliance on imports from overseas and sustaining long-term manufacturing throughout 2022. The funding will also support purchasing raw materials and finished tests to increase domestic supplies of diagnostic tests.

Additional information is available here.