Florida health end contract with lab after 25,000 coronavirus tests found to be

A health care system in central Florida said Saturday that it had terminated a contract with a third-party lab after concluding that more than 25,000 coronavirus tests it performed were unreliable.

AdventHealth said in a statement that officials were not confident with the reliability of the results from the lab and noted “unacceptable delays,” according to The Orlando Sentinel. The company did not name the lab.

“Teams across our organization are working around-the-clock to remedy the situation,” Daryl Tol, president and CEO of the company's central Florida division, said. “We take our responsibility to safeguard everyone who entrusts us with their care very seriously.”

AdventHealth did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from The Hill.

The company is reportedly contacting individuals who received tests that were processed by the third-party lab. People are tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, are being directed to take another test.



Meanwhile, AdventHealth is requiring those who have virus symptoms and received a negative test result to seek care, noting that they may have to be retested. People who received a negative test result and did not have any symptoms will be allowed to receive another test, based on availability. AdventHealth also plans to inform individuals whose tests were not processed.

The company also said that it will cover the cost for people who need to receive a second test, the Sentinel noted.

The U.S. government's response to the coronavirus outbreak was initially beset by delays in the development and distribution of diagnostic tests. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "really let the country down" with regards to testing.

The country has in recent weeks ramped up its testing capacity, which health officials stress is vital to safely reopening portions of the economy.

Florida has tested more than 653,000 people in the state, according to figures provided by the state health department. About 45,000 people have tested positive for the disease, representing approximately 7 percent of those tested.

AdventHealth has reportedly administered more than 41,000 coronavirus tests in Florida. The health system offered drive-through testing at five location in central Florida for about one month, conducting about 18,000 tests in the process.