Coronavirus: Northwell Health Lab on Long Island begins semi-automated testing for COVID-19

LAKE SUCCESS, Long Island (WABC) -- Northwell Health Labs, one of nation's largest health system-run diagnostic labs located on Long Island, on Wednesday announced the start of semi-automated COVID-19 testing at its 100,000-square-foot diagnostic facility.[br /][br /]The facility in Lake Success will now be able to process hundreds of tests daily, greatly increasing the health system's ability to screen symptomatic New Yorkers for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.[br /][Ads /][br /]Through an emergency use authorization submitted Tuesday night to the US Food & Drug Administration, the lab now has approval to move immediately from manual testing to the lab's semi-automated molecular diagnostic system.[br /][br /]Labs Executive Director Dr. Dwayne Breining said the transition from manual to semi-automated testing will allow highly-skilled technicians to go from processing 90 samples a day to hundreds with the help of experts from GenMark Diagnostics and its comprehensive, multiplex panel ePlex machines.[br /][br /]The lab is using a test developed and approved by the New York State Department of Health.[br /][br /]As a next step, the lab is seeking FDA approval to fully automate the process, which would give it the capability to process more than 1,000 tests daily.[br /][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/health/coronavirus-updates-what-we-know-about-covid-19/5988128/" TARGET="" REL=""]What we know about COVID-19 - US map, prevention, cases[/url][/b][br /][Ads /][br /][b]Latest Coronavirus News[/b][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/health/33-confirmed-covid-19-cases-in-ny;-4000-people-under-quarantine/5989875/" TARGET="" REL=""]Latest news on coronavirus in New York and New York City[/url][br /][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/health/live-nj-officials-give-coronavirus-update-/5990838/" TARGET="" REL=""]Latest news on the New Jersey coronavirus cases[/url][br /][br /][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/health/ct-hospital-employee-who-is-ny-state-resident-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/5991616/" TARGET="" REL=""] Latest news on Connecticut coronavirus COVID-19[/url][br /][br /]----------[br /]* [b][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/long-island/" TARGET="" REL=""]More Long Island news[/url][/b][br /]* [b][url HREF="https://7ny.tv/submitnewstip" TARGET="" REL=""]Send us a news tip[/url][/b][br /]* [b][url HREF="https://abc7ny.com/apps/" TARGET="" REL=""]Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts[/url][/b] [br /]*[b][url HREF="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrlIS7z20CnVaCrMvdkig_g" TARGET="_blank" REL="nofollow"] Follow us on YouTube[/url][/b]