Pharmaceuticals company Norbrook Laboratories has revealed that it will be the first company in Northern Ireland to install an innovative COVID-19 testing platform for on-site staff screening.

The Newry-based firm, which specialises in the development of pharmaceuticals for the veterinary industry, will begin testing for its workforce in the coming weeks, to provide reassurance and peace of mind for colleagues and for their families, without impacting on the public health need.

The COVID-19 screening programme at Norbrook is being facilitated by diagnostic technology from global diagnostics company Randox, one of the partners within the national COVID-19 testing programme.

David Ferguson, Managing Director at Randox Food Diagnostics explained;

“Collectively we are all working towards a timely return to a more normal society, which will see companies reopening and people returning to work.

“To facilitate this recovery of the economy, without compromising the health of workers or of the wider general public, workplaces have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment.

“We know that the health of Norbrook’s staff is their priority and as such it is great to see them taking a proactive approach to testing.”

The COVID-19 screening programme at Norbrook is the first in Northern Ireland being facilitated by an innovative testing platform capable of processing results in 2hours 30 mins.

The technology, named the Vivalytic, can screen for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as a range of other viral and bacterial infections including Influenza A and B, Pneumonia and other coronaviruses.

David added;

“Randox is fully committed to supporting the national effort to fight COVID-19 by testing at scale, and as we continue to work alongside the government and ramp up our testing capabilities, we welcome the fact that other organisations are also adopting our innovative COVID-19 testing technologies to address their own particular testing needs.

“The Vivalytic, which provides high quality molecular testing for COVID-19, on-site and without the need for laboratory experience, is a unique space-saving, hygienic solution for personnel COVID-19 testing in any setting and will help a wide variety of industries get back to business by ensuring the highest level of safety.”

Denise Collins, Norbrook Human Resources Director, concluded;

“We’re proud to be working with a company like Randox which has such vast experience in the diagnostics industry and was subsequently able to respond so quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That this world-leading technology is available from a Northern Ireland-headquartered company presents a unique opportunity for workplaces here to quickly and easily implement a staff screening programme, and at the same time demonstrate a high standard of duty of care that should be shown by employers to their employees.”

For further information about the Vivalytic please email marketing@randox.com

 

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