PROVIDENCE – A partner of East Providence’s East Side Clinical Laboratory falsely reported positive COVID-19 test results to 113 Rhode Islanders, the R.I. Department of Health announced on Friday.
Located in New York, this private laboratory – which state health officials did not name – told 113 people that the results of their coronavirus tests were positive when they were actually negative. The original false results were reported between July 9 and July 14.
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On July 14, there were 102 newly reported cases of the coronavirus, which was the highest one-day increase of new cases in the state since early June. Health department spokesman Joseph Wendelken told Providence Business News that the department is reviewing whether some of those false positives were part of the July 14 increase.
The 113 samples were part of a larger batch with samples sent to the New York laboratory from other states. While conducting quality control, the laboratory identified problems with the accuracy of the results in this specific batch.
The New York laboratory then performed an internal investigation and concluded that the initial sample handling was the reason for the false positives.
State health officials and East Side Clinical Laboratory are working to contact the people who received false positives. The health department said all other Rhode Islanders who have tested positive should assume that their test result is accurate.
The archived day-to-day numbers on RIDOH’s COVID-19 data tracking website will be updated to reflect the false positives, according to Wendelken.
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Gagosz@PBN.com.
