RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper joined a call Monday with Vice President Mike Pence and governors from around the country, giving an update on what North Carolina is doing through its Testing Surge Workgroup to increase coronavirus testing in the state.
In particular, Cooper highlighted efforts to diversify the supply chain for testing so labs aren't all relying on the same supplies from the same vendors.
The governor's office says Vice President Pence was complimentary of North Carolina's efforts and that Cooper made it clear that the state still needs more supplies and personal protective equipment from the federal government.
Cooper shared the following statement on the call:
I appreciate the open lines of communication that North Carolina has with the White House. Right now, North Carolina has 14 labs able to test for COVID-19, but to continue increasing our testing numbers we need help from the federal government getting more testing supplies and personal protective equipment. More testing is necessary to be able to start lifting restrictions in a safe way.
Also Monday, Cooper announced that the state has been approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program, which will help families purchase food for children impacted by school closings due to the coronavirus pandemic. North Carolina is one of the first four states to receive federal approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide P-EBT benefits, which are entirely federally funded.
