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The mobile lab will assist in processing COVID-19 tests with quicker results.
IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA.- Imperial County Officials have announced the collaboration between Imperial County Public Health Department and the California Military Department. A National Guard mobile analytical laboratory has been deployed to Imperial County to assist the County’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts. The request for additional laboratory support was initiated by Imperial County Officials and authorized by the California Governor’s Office. The mobile laboratory will be used to expand the capacity of the Imperial County Public Health Department Laboratory. The mobile laboratory is equipped with a diagnostic platform that allows for faster turnaround time for high-priority specimens. The unit arrived fully staffed with laboratory technologists who have received the appropriate licensing and training to conduct COVID-19 laboratory testing. Operations in Imperial County began on July 8, 2020, and is anticipated to continue until the County needs are met. The mobile lab unit does not administer COVID-19 testing and is not open to the public.
Dr. Stephen Munday, Health Officer, commented on the benefits of having access to the mobile laboratory, “Expanded laboratory capacity is essential in our mission to protect the health and safety of our residents. It aids our efforts to quickly identify and isolate those who test positive for COVID-19. The sooner we can slow the spread of this virus the sooner our community can begin to regain some sense of normalcy and move toward economic recovery.”
