New Castle County and Delaware State University announce their plan for a COVID-19 testing facility at DSU’s Kirkwood Highway campus.
The county will use $5 million of its CARES Act money for the facility.
The new lab is expected to create 6-to-10 biosciences jobs, and officials anticipate it will begin processing COVID-19 tests next month.
The new lab will fill 5600 square feet of unused space at the Wilmington campus.
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer.
"We want our COVID-19 testing capacity to increase. We don't want to ever turn anyone away today or in the future because we don't have enough testing capacity. Second we want to process tests more efficiently as everyone listening today probably knows people want tests faster, they want the results that are more reliable and we want tests to be less expensive."
Meyer notes less expensive tests will mean processing more tests.
And Delaware State University President Tony Allen says its work will eventually go beyond COVID-19 tests.
"It builds our capacity as it relates to COVID testing, but also as it relates to other infectious diseases. So over the long-term this could be and will be a hub for the region which we believe is important. I can also tell you that this is going to build some capacity for good paying jobs and key scientists in this area."
The lab is expected to create six-to-ten biosciences jobs now and in the future.
Allen adds the lab also expands DSU’s outreach in New Castle County.
