The new Covid-19 Testing Lab has begun processing samples in Jersey’s General Hospital. Once fully operational, the lab will maintain the current testing capacity.
The Government has not renewed the contract with OpenCell to provide the lab services required for processing PCR test results.
The new hospital lab has 3 new testing machines and will be officially opened with full processing capacity from 22 November.
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf, said: “It is fantastic news that the lab is up and running. It has taken a lot of effort to ensure the facility runs at the capacity we need, and I am confident in the success and efficiency of this operational change. I thank OpenCell for their services to date which have helped Jersey manage the urgent requirements for testing during this pandemic.”
Covid-19 PCR tests remain available for:
- direct contacts
- those who are symptomatic
- health, care and emergency service employees
- those with positive Lateral Flow Test results
- hospital pre-admissions
- unvaccinated arrivals
HCS General Manager James Mason said: “I am pleased that Health and Community Services colleagues can now offer this important service from within the Hospital. Islanders can be assured that their test results will be handled diligently by our teams, who aim to match the current expectations for results turn around.
“We maintain our on-Island resilience measures to ensure that if capacity reaches our limits within the lab, we have options to extend services to meet some additional demand. Sending samples to the UK will always be secondary to any local measures.”
