LumiraDx has announced the US launch of its rapid onsite surveillance test for Covid-19 at settings suchs as schools and workplaces. The LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Surveillance Test can be used for concurrent testing of up to five samples on a small, portable instrument. It delivers digital results in under 12 minutes. The test is intended to measure real-time population health metrics to aid in preventing the spread of Covid-19, LumiraDx said.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has received a $192.5m contract from the US Department of Defense to expand domestic manufacturing of pipette tips used in research and diagnostic labs. The company and the US government will jointly invest in a new production facility for pipette tips, which are required in high volumes for processing diagnostic tests in the country, including Covid-19. The new facility is expected to complete in 2024.

Applied DNA Sciences has secured a testing contract from Suffolk County Community College to track Covid-19 prevalence among the college’s unvaccinated staff and faculty. Testing as part of Applied DNA’s safeCircle Testing Program is set to start this month and will use the company’s Linea COVID-19 Assay Kit. The initial term of the contract is one year and covers two one-year options for renewal.