The head of the Israel Association of Biochemists, Microbiologists and Laboratory Workers says the Health Ministry is not allowing medical laboratories around Israel to operate at full capacity during Shabbat, limiting the number of coronavirus tests they can perform.
“The virus doesn’t take a break on Friday and Saturday. This is a scandal,” Ester Admon is quoted saying by Channel 13 news.
While praising the Magen David Adom emergency service for increasing the number of samples it can take in a day, Admon says laboratories need to operate at full capacity to process these tests and get results.
“The question isn’t how many tests were taken today, but how many are tested in the laboratory,” she says.
The Health Ministry denies the assertion, saying the labs were operating 24/7.
However, according to the Ynet news site, the main laboratory in the Haifa area, which can perform 330 tests a day, has been waiting since Wednesday to receive permission to operate during the weekend.
Numerous laboratories were working limited hours during Shabbat, while others had a reduced workforce, the website says.
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Friday, March 20, 2020
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