SPIKING

Florida Ditches Coronavirus Testing Company After Delayed Data Dump

After the nationwide lab lagged in releasing “historically significant” test results, the state announced plans to cut all ties. The 75,000 case backlog dates back to April.

The state of Florida is ditching nationwide testing lab Quest Diagnostics after the company attempted to dump close to 75,000 positive test results, some dating back as far as April. A press release from the Florida Department of Public Health says Gov. Ron DeSantis had directed all executive agencies to sever COVID-19 testing relationships with Quest after the company’s delayed data release on Aug. 31 resulted in a significantly changed case rate. Testing companies are required by state law to report test results in a timely manner. With Quest’s delayed data included in last night's reported cases, the state’s positive test rate increased by almost 1 percent. “To drop this much unusable and stale data is irresponsible,” said DeSantis via a statement. Quest, one of the biggest diagnostic testing providers in the country, has previously come under fire for its lengthy test waits.