Small businesses in Texas can apply to COVID-19 rapid testing program

Are you a small business owner? Would you conduct rapid tests on your employees if you could? A program has just been expanded to help small businesses throughout Texas do just that.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) announced today that one million BinaxNow rapid tests have been dedicated to frontline workers working at Texas small businesses via the COVID-19 Small Business Rapid Testing Program.

Through the program, TDEM will provide local Chamber of Commerce organizations with COVID-19 testing supplies that will then be allocated to local small businesses that choose to participate in the program. Small businesses can then administer these tests to employees who choose to participate.

"The small business rapid testing program is protecting the safety of small business owners, their employees, and Texas consumers as we continue to combat COVID-19," said Governor Abbott. "By expanding this effective strategy, it will help us further detect and mitigate this virus so we can keep Texas safely open for business. Thank you to our participating Chamber of Commerce organizations for continuing to work with the State of Texas to help protect our communities and small businesses." 

The program was developed using the framework of the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program for Texas school systems, implemented by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and TDEM in October, that provides access to rapid testing for Texas teachers, students, and staff in participating school systems. 

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Frontline healthcare workers greet incoming vehicles at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site amid a surge of COVID-19 cases on November 14, 2020 in El Paso, Texas.

Chamber of Commerce organizations that wish to participate in the program can click here for further information. Small businesses interested in participating in the program should contact their local Chamber of Commerce for more information.

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