Medical Laboratories of Windsor approved to process local COVID-19 tests

Medical Laboratories of Windsor has been approved to process COVID-19 swabs within the region, though the company won't begin doing so until December. 

Last week, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said it was supporting a local lab that was applying to process Windsor's COVID-19 tests. On Monday, Medical Laboratories of Windsor told CBC News it received the green light. 

Currently all tests performed in the health unit are sent to a lab in London, which has been processing Windsor's tests since the pandemic began. 

London will continue to process the tests solo for the next few months, as Medical Laboratories of Windsor's vice-president of operations Jennifer Yee said the equipment they need won't arrive until December. 

"I think I speak for everybody at the lab when I say we're happy we can contribute and help our health care professionals, you know, with diagnosis and trying to reduce the spread and staying on top of the virus," she said, adding that once the lab is up and running it will be able to process 800 tests in 16 hours. 

At current testing volumes, which Yee said is around 300 to 500 a day, the lab should be able to provide a quick turnaround, possibly with same-day results. 

"So I think that's a huge improvement to containing the virus and I think it's really going to reduce the anxiety that patients will have about waiting for days, not knowing if they're positive or negative," she said. 

The private company is funding the equipment, but Yee said she and her staff just want to be able to help the community.

"We want to help our community, we want to keep everybody safe, including our own families and friends and workers and coworkers," Yee said.