WESTBROOK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King today visited Abbott’s Westbrook manufacturing plant to see firsthand how the company manufactures tens of millions of rapid BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests every month in Maine. During the visit, Senator King toured the plant’s large production facilities and met with company representatives to discuss how they can continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and support good-paying Maine jobs. This visit comes as the American Rescue Plan, which passed 50-49 last March with Senator King’s crucial vote, is funding the Biden administration’s new mail distribution of rapid, at-home tests like Abbott’s BinaxNOW. 

“One of the many Maine businesses working to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Abbott has helped countless Americans protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities through their at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests,” said Senator King. “Produced right here in Westbrook and Scarborough, these tests are a key tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 and help us safely gather with our friends and family – in addition to creating good jobs for Maine people. It was a privilege to tour the Abbott Westbrook manufacturing facility today to see the skill and dedication of Abbott employees, observe their work to produce these lifesaving tests, and learn more about how the company is shipping tests across the country thanks to American Rescue Plan funding. I’m deeply grateful for all that Abbott and their employees have done for our state and our country during this pandemic, and I look forward to their continued growth and success here in Maine.”

“It was a pleasure to show Senator King how Abbott is producing tens of millions of rapid tests and continuing to invest in our workforce and facilities here in Maine,” said Andrea F. Wainer, Executive Vice President of Abbott’s rapid and molecular diagnostics business. “As this virus evolves, Abbott is well positioned through its self-funding of a robust domestic manufacturing base to produce 100 million rapid tests a month in the U.S.”

Abbott currently operates two COVID-19 test manufacturing plants in Maine based in Scarborough and Westbrook. Now operating 24/7, these plants produce tens-of-millions of COVID-19 tests a month, and are a significant part of the supply of COVID-19 tests nationwide. At the start of the pandemic, when unemployment numbers were rising by the week, Abbott hired an additional 2,000 workers in Maine to staff the plants.

Senator King has worked to provide Maine with the resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped negotiate the American Rescue Plan which passed 50-49 in March, and included $160 billion in essential funding to directly address the COVID-19 pandemic, giving the state vital aid to control the virus and vaccinate Maine people. Last week, King welcomed the announcement that the Biden administration will direct Medicare and Medicare Advantage to cover the cost of at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests by early spring. The move came after a recent push by Senator King calling for the change. Senator King also wrote to Postmaster General Louis Dejoy and urged him to ensure rapid COIVD-19 tests are able to be delivered to Maine people efficiently.