File Photo of former CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health will have a new facility to test samples of the novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the Jordan Agricultural Research Center at Fresno State would house the new COVID-19 testing facility. The site will be the first one in Fresno County with the capacity to test samples, speeding up the process.

“When this crisis hit our staff and our county, our county staff reached out to us and connected with this for a possible opportunity for collaboration,” said Joseph I. Castro, the Fresno State president.

As a result of their collaboration, five technicians will be able to test 40 to 60 samples a day, according to Fresno County Health Officer Dr. Rais Vorha. Vorha also said that the department hopes to ramp up the amount of tests done fairly soon.

“I think having a lab here locally fills a very significant void that we’ve had in the pandemic response,” he said.

Vorha said they expect this facility to be up and running later this week.