$3.6 million to health centers to provide COVID-19 testing

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded over $3.6 million to five Southern Illinois health centers to purchase and provide testing for COVID-19.

The funding was announced May 8 by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill.

Health centers which are receiving funds include:

Rural Health Inc., $315,634.

Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation Inc., $1,688,104.

Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc: $321,814.

Christopher Rural Health Planning Corp., $728,239.

Shawnee Health Service and Development Corporation, $598,459.

“Testing is critical to determining the scale of coronavirus outbreaks in our communities, which is why I have supported Congressional efforts to expand and improve testing across the country,” Bost said in a news release.

“These grants will provide local health centers with vitally important resources so that they have the tests needed to track this virus.”