Provincial Laboratory Services and COVID-19 Testing Platforms
Provincial Laboratory Services utilizes multiple Health Canada authorized COVID-19 testing devices to meet the needs of Islanders. Various testing methods are in place to ensure the laboratory can meet the needs for routine testing, urgent/stat testing, and large-scale/surge testing.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and Prince County Hospital (PCH) laboratories are equipped with RT- PCR GeneXpert and BioFire instruments using their Health Canada cleared tests. These tests can be used for urgent requests and/or for single use, producing test results in 1 hour once received within the laboratory.
The QEH laboratory is also equipped with other RT-PCR platforms from Seegene and BD. These employ their own Health Canada cleared COVID-19 test. Both instruments allow the laboratory to test large volumes of samples submitted for COVID-19 testing.
Provincial Laboratory Services also provides molecular RT-LAMP testing units for Western and King’s County Memorial hospitals. The Abbott ID Now Health Canada approved tests are stationed at these sites in addition to being using for pop-up testing clinics and border screening locations.