Weeks after the state government announced it is actively investigating allegations of poor management at a PerkinElmer COVID-19 testing laboratory in Valencia, the Massachusetts company said it is seeking accreditation for the lab.PerkinElmer hopes the designation, sought from the College of American Pathologists as of Feb. 19, would ensure “Californians have no doubt about the quality of the services at the laboratory,” the company said in a statement.If accredited, the Valencia lab will join PerkinElmer labs in Pennsylvania, India and China that already have the college’s designation.PerkinElmer nabbed a $1.7 billion contract with the state in September, and is responsible for increasing COVID-19 testing by processing 150,000 tests per day at the 134,287-square-foot lab at 28454 Livingston Ave.But a news report in Sacramento and whistleblower allegations to the California Public Health Department instead claim that less than 20,000 tests had been conducted per day since the lab opened in October, while the state was receiving bills from the facility for upwards of 100,000 daily tests.Alleged problems include contamination, sleeping lab technicians, swapped samples and test swabs found in restrooms, resulting in inaccurate test results.Laboratory Field Services performed a routine inspection of the facility on Dec. 8 and sent a report to the Valencia lab on Feb. 19, according to PerkinElmer. The company’s response to the inspection report was due March 1.In December and January, Laboratory Field Services requested additional information from the lab which was supplied but not incorporated in the Feb. 19 report, PerkinElmer said in a Feb. 22 statement. The company stated that “deficiencies identified by LFS have long since been resolved.”“Recent media reporting on the VBL’s operations has unfortunately caused confusion about laboratory practices and the accreditation process, and sown concern about the reliability of testing performed at the VBL,” PerkinElmer added in the same statement. “That concern is misplaced; out of all samples received, the VBL has issued corrected reports for approximately 60 out of more than 1.5 million samples processed.”The Valencia lab tests samples from a network of more than 1,500 specimen collection sites, PerkinElmer said, including churches, schools, clinics, employers and community-based organizations.“California opened the Valencia Branch Laboratory in collaboration with PerkinElmer to expand laboratory testing capacity and ensure access to testing for neighborhoods that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic at a time when testing was relatively scarce and supply chains were strained,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in a statement. “We take these findings seriously and are committed to working with PerkinElmer to ensure we provide the best possible results for the people of California.”
