Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young, Baltimore City Health Department Announce Partnership with Hologic to Provide Increased Testing
Agreement brings 18,000 more tests to the City, and will allow for testing to be run in a Health Department lab
BALTIMORE, MD. — Today, Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young and the Baltimore City Health Department announced a partnership with Hologic, Inc. to increase the City’s ability to test residents for COVID-19. Mayor Young issued the following statement:
“While we will continue to push the State to increase testing capacity here in Baltimore, I am excited to announce the City’s new partnership with Hologic,” Mayor Young said. “Increasing our testing capacity is critical to begin reopening the City, and I want to thank the Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa and Hologic because this partnership will help us facilitate that.”
Through this agreement, the Health Department will be able to use its own labs to review samples of tests collected in the field, speeding up the process to confirm positive tests. Prior to this partnership, all samples collected through City testing sites needed to be shipped to private labs, hospitals, or State-run facilities to get test results.
Hologic is also providing the City with 18,000 test kits as part of the deal. For the period of May 4 through May 10, the most recent full cycle for which testing data is available, an average of 571 tests were completed per day. Based on World Health Organization guidelines, it is estimated the City would need to complete 2,700-2,800 tests per day to ensure proper tracking of the spread of the disease.
“I have said it again and again these last few weeks – to safely reopen, we need more testing,” Mayor Young said. “I’m proud of the work our Health Department and Hologic in moving swiftly and decisively to address the inadequate supplies we have received from the State.”