Top state health officials are promising that any Nebraskan who needs to be tested for the Coronavirus will be tested.

That promise coming as testing around the country—from the White House on down— continues to raise questions and criticism.

Nebraska testing will come with some strings though.

Dr. Peter Iwen (Nebraska Public Health Library):   Not everybody has coronavirus – everybody with a sniffle doesn’t need to be tested.

Testing the people who need, emphasize the word need, to be tested is an on- going message from one of the country's premier health labs right here in Omaha, Nebraska Public Health Laboratory.

Dr. Peter Iwen: Once it was known that Omaha would be a sight for repatriated travelers for quarantine, then the CDC got in contact with us and says you know, we’re going to put you on a fast track – you’re going to be one of the first public health laboratories in the nation to get this test kit because you have a need for it right now.

As for the state overall, health officials say the number of tests is growing daily with more

Dr. Gary Anthone (Chief Medical Officer, State of Nebraska: We have the capability to test who needs to be tested. We’re still going to use the same criteria that we have been using: close contact with positive test cases, people in the hospital that are ill for without a reason with pneumonias, and then people who have traveled back to the area that have traveled from high-risk areas that have symptoms, but now the commercial labs are up and running and I think we’re assured this following week we will be better equipped to do the testing we need to do. So I can just assure that if a Nebraskan needs a test we will make sure that gets done. We ask them if their sick however with symptoms to stay home until they get ahold of their health care provider or one of the local health department people.

Governor Pete Ricketts: If you go to a doctor and the doctor screens you and says ‘Yes, you’re a good candidate to be screened’ you will be able to get a test and the turnaround time from LabCore and Quest is about four days…Our tests are going to be done quicker.

Carol Allensworth, of the Douglas County Health Department, says it appears the testing won’t cost you a dime out of pocket.

Allensworth: If it goes through the Nebraska Public Health Labs that goes through  public funds. Now that more and more tests are becoming available through other sectors through big laboratories and stuff its very likely those tests at that point in time will go to their insurance.

Dr. Peter Iwen: Working with the state epidemiology department, the county epidemiologist, the health districts and they’re acting as our kind of go-between – the gatekeeper so to speak of who actually should get tested so we don’t burn out all of our supplies and not have enough to test the people that really need to be tested.