The CDC is making a push to bolster medical labs around the country, the agency said Sept. 17.
State, local and territorial health departments will be awarded part of a $385 million pool in October to strengthen their labs.
The money will be earmarked for increasing labs' capacities to identify emerging pathogens and patients carrying infectious disease threats, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Outbreaks of such germs have appeared in COVID-19 units throughout the pandemic, the CDC said.
The funds are part of a larger $2.1 billion investment to improve infection prevention and control efforts across the U.S.