(ATLANTA) – To further strengthen the State of Georgia’s COVID-19 testing, on May 8, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency coordinated receipt of the first weekly shipment of specimen collection supplies provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Testing remains a top priority for the State, and ensuring there are enough testing supplies to meet the demand has been one of the major challenges of the Coronavirus response,” said GEMA/HS Director Homer Bryson. “Assisting our partners at the Georgia Department of Public of Health in obtaining these supplies is another positive step toward accomplishing the Governor’s mandate to further increase testing.”

Georgia will receive a combination of nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs, and transport media will include a combination of viral transport media, molecular transport media, and sterile saline. These supplies are intended to supplement the specimen collection supplies that the state, labs, and healthcare providers are obtaining directly from the private commercial market.

Georgia has already received an initial shipment of 13,500 swabs and is expecting to receive the remainder of its weekly allocation by May 10. In total, the state will receive 210,000 swabs and 156,400 transport media for the month of May.

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As part of the Office of the Governor, GEMA/HS works with local, state and federal governments, in partnership with the private sector and faith-based community, to protect life and property against man-made and natural emergencies. In addition, GEMA/HS employees are on 24-hour call statewide to assist local authorities when disaster strikes. GEMA/HS’s “Ready Georgia” campaign helps Georgians prepare for disasters. Visit www.gema.ga.gov  for more information.

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