Posted July 02, 2020

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded several million dollars of federal CARES Act funds to establish COVID-19 testing at colleges across Alabama and work on a COVID-19 notification app.

Monday, the Governor’s Office announced $30 million will go toward two programs: Testing for Alabama and Stay Safe Together.

A coalition led by the Alabama Department of Public Health and UAB will implement Testing for Alabama at universities and two-year colleges across the state. Targeted testing will also be deployed in certain underserved regions and locations with healthcare disparities.

The Governor’s Office said testing methods in development include a shallow nasal swab or a UAB-developed saline gargle test.

The goals are to test out-of-state students before they return to Alabama campuses and give all universities a chance to identify hotspots and potential COVID-19 problems early in the 2020-21 school year.

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