Benzinga | Mar 26, 2021 08:26AM EDT

OPKO's BioReference Labs Reports Expansion Of Its COVID-19 School Testing Program To Support Return To In-Person Classroom Instruction Across US

BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company (NASDAQ:OPK), today announced the expansion of its COVID-19 school testing program to support the return to in-person classroom instruction across the country.



BioReference today announced the expansion of its COVID-19 school testing program.

The Rockefeller Foundation announced an initiative to provide guidance on testing for K-12 schools and connect schools with laboratories and testing partners, including BioReference.

On March 17, the Biden Administration identified COVID-19 testing in schools as a critical focus in 2021, and on Wednesday, Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel S. Cardona noted his expectation that schools to be 100% open for in-person learning in the fall. Continuing COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including testing, will play an essential role in achieving this, and helping to ensure a safe classroom environment.

This expansion builds upon BioReference's robust expertise in school testing including specific technology developed for scheduling students/staff and reporting to parents and schools to quickly identify classes and students that may be at risk should an individual test positive. Supporting two of the largest school systems in the country, BioReference provides testing services for almost 200 schools every day and has tested nearly 400,000 public school students, principals and teachers to date.

"As school systems continue to prioritize student safety as they work to reopen, testing will play an essential role in expediting the process and supporting a safer overall learning experience for students and their families," said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference Laboratories. "We're proud to leverage our expertise in large-scale, school testing programs to expand test offerings throughout the nation. In support of President Biden's announcement to significantly increase funding for COVID-19 school testing, BioReference is prepared to expand our successful model to multiple other school districts around the country."

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BioReference supported various government, municipalities and organizations with COVID-19 specimen collection and transportation, processing COVID-19 tests, and reporting results, having performed more than 13 million COVID-19 tests. Programs specific for school testing can include RT-PCR lab-based testing as well as rapid PCR and antigen, depending on the school and/or district needs.

For more information on setting up a testing program for your school district, please email Ellen Beausang at ebeausang@bioreference.com.