Illinois county is forced to switch coronavirus testing labs after official accused third-party vendor of LOSING thousands of results that took almost two weeks to come back
- Winnebago County had to switch their coronavirus testing labs on Wednesday
- The switch came after Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney said a third-party vendor was used to process tests but none of the tests were reported
- The tests account for 60 per cent of county’s total pending tests, officials said
- But governor’s office said Wednesday night that test results were never missing
- Health department had also said the results weren’t missing earlier Wednesday
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A county in Illinois was forced to switch COVID-19 testing laboratories after Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney (pictured) accused a third-party vendor of losing more than 2,100 tests
A county in Illinois was forced to switch coronavirus testing laboratories after an official accused a third-party vendor of losing more than 2,100 tests.
The incident unraveled when Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney sent a letter to Gov J. B. Prtizker informing him of the situation in Rockford on Wednesday afternoon.
In the letter, Haney said the state contracted a third-party vendor to process the tests but ‘zero tests have been reported to the Winnebago County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health from this vendor’.
According to Haney, the missing tests that were taken 13 days ago at the University of Illinois College of Medicine testing site account for 60 per cent of the county’s total pending tests, and 28 per cent of all tests taken to date.
‘It has become painfully clear that nobody can explain what happened to these tests, where the tests are, as well as if or when this issue will ever be resolved,’ Haney said in the letter.
Haney noted in the letter that the missing tests could impact the ability to reopen under the governor’s five-phase reopening plan if they are not found.
According to Haney, there are 3,770 pending tests for the county, which included the 2,100 he claimed were missing.
According to Haney, the missing tests that were taken 13 days ago at the University of Illinois College of Medicine testing site (pictured) account for 60 per cent of the county’s total pending tests, and 28 per cent of all tests taken to date
According to Haney, there are 3,770 pending tests for the county, which included the 2,100 he claimed were missing
But the governor’s office said Wednesday night that test results were never missing.
The local health department had also said the results hadn’t been missing earlier on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Winnebago County Health Department: ‘The contracted vendor has been attempting to notify individuals tested at that site with their results.
‘Individuals tested at that site should be assured that their specimens have been properly handled and tested. There has been a delay in communicating results to the individuals and the WCHD.
As of Wednesday night, there are 734 confirmed coronavirus cases in Winnebago County and 22 deaths
‘We recognize that this is stressful for individuals who have been tested and are awaiting results. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is working with both the testing laboratory and the contracted vendor.’
Following the incident, Haney announced in a Facebook Thursday morning that ‘different lab will be used for tests conducted at the University of Illinois Health Sciences Campus site’.
‘If you were already tested at that location, the Winnebago County Health Department is currently obtaining copies of your result and will work to notify you, as well as conduct contact tracing if necessary.’
As of Wednesday night, there are 734 confirmed coronavirus cases in Winnebago County and 22 deaths.
In Illinois, there are more than 68,000 confirmed cases with at least 2,900 deaths.