NOT IDEAL

Coronavirus Test Kits Have Been Contaminated With Coronavirus, Says Report

Delivery of key parts of the kit, which were being sent to Britain, has been delayed after traces of the virus were found on them.

Britain’s attempts to step up its testing for the novel coronavirus have suffered a setback after some key parts of the testing kits that were due to be imported were found to have been contaminated with the coronavirus. The Daily Telegraph reported that British labs have been told to expect a delay in the delivery some of the components of the kits after traces of the virus were detected on them. The British government has been criticized for its relatively low testing rates, which are way behind other wealthy nations like Germany, the United States, and South Korea. The government brought in foreign private firms to help produce thousands of kits, but it’s one of those suppliers—the Luxembourg-based firm Eurofins—that has told British labs that some of the components have been contaminated. It’s not clear exactly how the contamination was allowed to happen, but government health sources told the newspaper it shouldn’t cause a big delay.