THE Hospital will take over the processing of PCR tests for Covid-19 from Monday, as the OpenCell lab plans to leave Jersey due to plummeting demand.
OpenCell provided PCR test processing for the Island for 14 months prior to the government’s own lab being established in November 2021.
Since then, it has been processing private-sector testing, including tests related to travel.
Islanders have been reassured that the service provided by OpenCell for private providers will now be available from the government lab.
Dr Ivan Muscat, deputy medical officer of health, said: ‘I would like to thank OpenCell for their support over the past two years, which has helped us manage the urgent requirements for testing during the pandemic.
‘I would also like to reassure Islanders that the move will not impact testing services and results will be handled diligently by the team within the current expected turnaround times.
‘Since the beginning of the pandemic, over a million PCR tests have been undertaken, which is great testament to the hard work that has taken place.
‘The move to bring testing under one umbrella will be more cost-effective and provide a more efficient approach to how tests are processed.’
