Lincoln – Over the next few weeks, Nebraska will dramatically increase the number of people tested for COVID-19 using a program that was recently launched in Utah and Iowa, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced.

Ricketts urged residents to visit testnebraska.com, a website that will allow them to get a free, voluntary health assessment. People who have symptoms, have been exposed to the coronavirus or have traveled to hot spots will be eligible for drive-thru tests.

The partnership with a coalition of private companies, announced last Tuesday, will offer free tests for up 3,000 residents per day in about five weeks, up from its current average of 600 to 800 tests.

Ricketts said health care responders will get first priority for testing, followed by people with obvious symptoms, people with a few symptoms and then people with no symptoms who suspect they’re infected and want the test.

“Every Nebraskan can be part of this fight,” he said.

Ricketts said that state and company officials are still working on ways to serve people who don’t have internet access. One option would be a call center. He said more testing it also key to helping businesses reopen in an orderly manner.

The announcement follows a surge in confirmed cases in Nebraska. Hall County saw a surge so large that it surpassed Douglas County, which has about nine times as many residents. The outbreak in Grand Island, Hall County and the region is largely driven by local meatpacking and food-processing companies that required employees to work close together.

Nearly 16,500 people had been tested statewide in Nebraska as of last Tuesday morning.

Nebraska is partnering with four companies for testing: Xant, Nomi Health, Qualtrics and Domo. They began their testing initiative in Utah.

Iowa’s $26 million testing program is similar to Nebraska’s and uses the same start-up providers.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is urging everyone to voluntarily complete a health assessment at testIowa.com to qualify for free drive-thru testing. Iowa will also boost its testing capability by 3,000 tests per day, and it will start by opening a new testing location Saturday at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. 

Iowa currently completes 1,000 to 2,000 tests daily. More than 27,000 residents have been tested since the start of the pandemic, about 1 of every 113 residents.

The state signed a $26 million contract to purchase 540,000 tests over six months from Nomi Health. The governor’s office said the cost, $48 per test, is in line with commercial rates and would be paid for with federal funds.

Tests have been limited to hospital patients, people with symptoms and underlying medical conditions who are over 60, those who live in large residential facilities, and health care and other essential workers.

Despite the limits on who can get tested, Iowa’s confirmed cases have dramatically increased, partially due to outbreaks at meatpacking plants that have infected hundreds of workers.

Reynolds framed the testing program as a way to “crush the curve” and hasten the reopening of the economy. She said it was critical for even healthy people to complete the assessment so the state can decide where to make tests available.

The website acknowledges that its request for personal contact and health information “may be uncomfortable and concerning to some.” But it promises that data will not be shared with the companies and will be used only to fight the pandemic.

Company officials said they would share data with state officials but would not sell it to third parties.