Windsor Essex residents should soon see a quicker COVID-19 test turnaround as a new lab starts processing tests locally.
To date, all test samples have been sent to London or Toronto to be analyzed causing a delay in turnaround time. As of last week, only 11 per cent of the more than 11,000 tests conducted locally have come back within one day, and only 50 per cent are completed within two days.
The local lab should start processing local serologic tests on Monday, and will eventually also conduct rapid testing.
WECHU weekly epidemiological study, January 15, 2020.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed indicates the lab will not have the capability to process all of the region’s tests, but it should have an impact on the turnaround time overall.
Despite having one of the highest COVID-19 rates in the province, the Windsor Essex region has a slower test turnaround time of all but four regions.
