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Province Investing in COVID-19 Test Kits Made in Thorold

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Over $13 million is being invested to boost production of COVID-19 test kits in Thorold.

The province is supporting an investment of over $13 million to scale up production of a COVID-19 test kit in Thorold. 

Norgen Biotek is supporting upgrades in its Thorold facilities to boost production of a saliva-based COVID-19 test kit. 

The company is investing $12 million, and the province is kicking in the rest through the Ontario Together Fund. 

About 105 jobs are expected to be created, and upon project completion, the forecasted production capacity is predicted to hit 100,000 diagnostic kits per day. 

"I want to thank the Ontario government under the leadership of Doug Ford and Minister Fedeli for coming up with the Ontario Together Fund. It is very timely, indeed," said Yousef Haj-Ahmad, President and CEO of Norgen Biotek. "This program has, without a doubt, helped Norgen Biotek and many other Ontario companies overcome the challenges faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This program encouraged Norgen to undertake a broad facility expansion, a scaling up of operations, and creating new jobs to meet the demand for Norgen’s products during the pandemic."

Since 1998, Norgen Biotek has focused on developing products for sample collection, preparation and detection, as well as conducting research for the scientific community. 

Earlier this week, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch wrote to Health Minister Christine Elliott about the company, urging the province to allow the business to expand its provincial license to allow it to provide COVID-19 tests for individuals experiencing symptoms of the virus. 

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