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Two Iowa lawmakers calling for investigation into TestIowa

State Reps. Ruth Ann Gaines and Chris Hall requested an investigation into TestIowa, claiming the results may not be worth the price tag for tax payers.

IOWA, USA — Two Iowa lawmakers are calling for an investigation into TestIowa, one of the state's main sources for coronavirus testing. 

In the letter, state Reps. Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines, and Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, claim the $26 million program hasn't met Gov. Kim Reynolds' goal for testing Iowans for the virus. 

The representatives hope to start a Government Oversight investigation into TestIowa once the legislative session resumes on June 3. 

Their full list of problems they have with TestIowa is as follows:

  • Contract awarded without a competitive bid process to an out-of-state company with limited testing experience
  • Daily testing numbers are well short of the 3,000 tests per day promised
  • Total number of Test Iowa tests conducted and processed still secret
  • Extremely long wait times for test results
  • Faulty equipment
  • Weeks long validation process
  • Damaged tests
  • Vulnerable Iowans being denied tests
  • Iowans having to travel hours to be tested
  • Hastily closing testing sites

The letter also includes that the committee should discuss several officials' roles in negotiating a contract and administration with the program. Those officials are:

  • Sarah Reisetter, Deputy Dir. of Iowa Department of Public Health
  • Paul Trombino
  • David Roederer

There are also several unnamed representatives listed from Qualtrics, Co-Diagnostics, NomiHealth, RPH Engineering, SafeLane Health, Iowa Hygienic Lab, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clincs, and a county public health director. 

RELATED: Gov. Reynolds praises Iowa's testing efforts, pledges to test 2% of the population every month

RELATED: Reynolds going back to work at the Capitol; COVID-19 briefings will be Tuesdays, Thursdays

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