In the News
19 March 2020
Press Release: Unilabs sets up first “Drive-Through” Covid-19 testing facility
Geneva, 19 March 2020: Unilabs, the leading European diagnostic services provider, has set up a "drive-through" facility to collect samples from suspected Covid-19 patients. The facility, among the first of its kind in Europe, is based in Porto, Portugal.
“The opening of this temporary drive-through facility allows us to serve the urgent needs of our community, and takes the pressure off hospitals struggling with the flood of patients requiring sample collection and analysis,” said Luis Menezes, CEO of Unilabs Portugal. “The key benefit is safety.”
After making an appointment, patients drive to the collection point, where they roll down their windows to be tested by trained medical staff in protective clothing. By remaining in their own vehicles throughout, patients minimize contact with other people, reducing the risk of infection for everyone – patients, medical professionals, and the general public.
The system allows about 400 daily tests to be performed in the first phase, rising to nearly 700 tests over the coming days. The facility is being kept safe by local law enforcement.
“Thank you to Porto City Council and the Northern Health Administration for their combined efforts to help make this innovative collection site possible," said Luis Menezes.
Unilabs currently performs Covid-19 testing in Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, and Czechia. As well as drive-through facilities, Unilabs is also working on home testing kits. Both solutions will be rolled out across the group as soon as Unilabs is authorised to start testing by local authorities.
Media contact:
Alistair Hammond, Director of Communications
t: +44 771 773 0441
About Unilabs
Unilabs is one of Europe’s largest and fastest-growing diagnostics companies. It offers a complete range of laboratory, pathology and imaging services for patients all around the world. With 12,000 employees across 110 imaging centres and 250 labs in 16 countries, we perform close to four million lab tests a week – saving lives every single day.