BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Catholic Health put in a multi-million dollar order for a two months supply of newly approved rapid COVID-19 tests. The FDA approved the tests, made by Cepheid, on Saturday. Test results are available within 45-60 minutes.
Catholic Health said it's capable of doing 800 Coronavirus tests per day with the staff and laboratories it already has. It just needs the kits. The maker of the test and the government will determine if Catholic Health gets the number of tests it requested.
"Cepheid and the elected officials from federal and state government are going to determine where the test kits go," said Catholic Health President & CEO, Mark Sullivan. "So with that ration, we may need to modify the purchase order which would be very unfortunate given that we have the work force ready to go."
Catholic Health said all of its laboratories are capable of doing the testing.
Sullivan said this testing will be crucial at the St. Jospeh facility in Cheektowaga, which will be a COVID-19 only hospital. Patients will have to test positive to be admitted.
Sullivan stressed this does not mean everyone should be tested.
