Faroes will not analyse corona tests from abroad

With a daily capacity for analysing 600 tests and the current number of COVID-19 tests averaging below 100, the Faroese corona lab is under much less stress than a few weeks ago.

But despite the encouraging corona trend, Faroese lab technicians will not be redirecting their focus on helping other nations fight the coronavirus.

So says health minister Kai Leo Holm Johannesen in reply to an enquiry from MP Kristina Háfoss.

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The enquiry comes after the test laboratory at the Food, Veterinary and Environmental Agency (HFS) last month received a request from health authorities in the Hebrides, west of Scotland, asking for help with analysing COVID-19 tests.

According to HFS, analysing tests from the Hebrides would be unwise as it would take too long to arrive at clinically useful results due to logistical challenges.

HFS has, however, offered to help the Hebridean authorities set up a diagnostics system.

Translated by prosa.fo