Irish-founded health screening and testing company LetsGetChecked is to open a new lab in Dublin as it rolls out home-based Covid-19 testing.
The new facility will be its first owned and operated laboratory in Europe.
The laboratory will process and test swab samples for coronavirus initially, and will expand further in the coming months, the company says, with the creation of an unspecified number of jobs.
The company is currently recruiting laboratory scientists and technicians as well as finance and IT professionals.
LetsGetChecked estimates that its new Dublin laboratory will process 5,000 tests per week to start, with plans to expand that testing capacity over time.
The facility is scheduled to open next month having completed the construction and planning phases in recent weeks.
The home-based Covid tests are available to be ordered online for €129 per kit.
Results are promised within within 24-72 hours of the sample being received by the lab.
The test is a nucleic acid amplification diagnostic test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, described as the "gold standard" for diagnosis of infection.
All positive results are reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) by the facility.
The company has been providing a similar service to companies, customers, and frontline healthcare workers in the US and Europe since May, primarily using its laboratory in California.
"In addition to assisting on a consumer level, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with leading Irish companies in need of testing programmes that will foster safe working environments," Peter Foley, the founder and CEO of LetsGetChecked, said.
"The coronavirus crisis has impacted all of us and we are keen to do what we can to help Irish people feel safe and secure during this challenging time," he said.
Founded in 2015, LetsGetChecked has been providing consumers with access to a wide range of testing options and clinical services from home.
Last month, the group was selected by American Airlines as a partner for a new pre-flight Covid-19 testing programme as it aims to get international travel off the ground again.
