Governors from Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia have joined Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in a bipartisan interstate compact with the Rockefeller Foundation to expand the use of rapid response antigen tests to slow the spread of COVID-19.

By banding together, the states demonstrate demand to scale up the tests’ production, which delivers results in 15-20 minutes. The states are in discussions with Becton Dickinson and Quidel — the U.S. manufacturers of antigen tests that the FDA has already authorized — to purchase 500,000 tests per state, for a total of three million tests.

With the purchase of the tests, states expect to ramp up the use of rapid antigen testing to detect outbreaks more quickly and expand long-term testing at schools, workplaces, and nursing homes. The states will coordinate on policies and protocols regarding rapid antigen testing technology.

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