ELMWOOD PARK, N.J.,
March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- 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.
About BioReference Laboratories, Inc.
BioReference Laboratories, Inc. is the largest full service
specialty laboratory in the United
States that gives healthcare providers and patients the
power to make confident healthcare decisions. With a focus on
genetics, oncology, urology and women's health, BioReference offers
comprehensive test solutions and unparalleled expertise based on a
40 year legacy of proven science. The company is in-network with
the largest health plans in the United
States, serves approximately 19 million patients annually,
operates a network of 11 laboratory locations, and is backed by a
medical staff of more than 300 M.D.,
D.O., Ph.D., genetic counselors and other professional clinical and
scientific personnel. With a national footprint and niche market
experience, BioReference provides credible and innovative solutions
that meet the needs of employers, governmental agencies,
educational systems, hospitals and health systems, correctional
institutions, sports leagues, travel and leisure industries, and
retail markets. BioReference provides industry-leading custom
solutions for COVID-19, including point-of-care testing and
large-scale screening programs.
https://www.bioreference.com/
About OPKO Health
OPKO is a multinational biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company
that seeks to establish industry-leading positions in large,
rapidly growing markets by leveraging its discovery, development,
and commercialization expertise and novel and proprietary
technologies. For more information,
visit www.opko.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that
term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such
as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates,"
"believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of
similar meaning, including statements regarding BioReference's
expertise in quickly identifying classes and students that may be
at risk, the role of testing in expediting and supporting a safer
learning environment, BioReference's ability to successfully expand
its model to multiple school districts around the
country, as well as other non-historical statements
about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our
business, technologies and products, financial condition,
strategies or prospects. Many factors could cause our actual
activities or results to differ materially from the activities and
results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors
include those described in the OPKO Health, Inc. Annual Reports on
Form 10-K filed and to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and in its other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. In addition, forward-looking statements may
also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive
product development, product availability, federal and state
regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new
products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise,
patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The
forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak
only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not
undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We
intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the
safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA.
Contacts:
Media Inquiries
Hillary Titus, 201-406-9968
htitus@bioreference.com
School Testing Inquiries
Ellen
Beausang, 773-726-7492
ebeausang@bioreference.com
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SOURCE BioReference Laboratories, Inc