iHealth Labs, a provider of at-home COVID tests, announced its manufacturing facility for COVID tests in Irwindale, Calif., has manufactured over 70 million test kits.
The team at iHealth made a substantial investment to establish this U.S.-based production facility for COVID at-home test kits to fulfill the requirements of its contract from the Federal Government, the company says.
“We are extremely proud to be selected by iHealth as the location for the first fully automated facility dedicated to the production of COVID-19 test kits in the U.S.,” says H. Manuel Ortiz, mayor of the city of Irwindale. “The iHealth team recognized Irwindale’s unique business environment that combines a focus on economic development and building a small-town community.”
The over 70 million COVID Antigen tests is equivalent to over 170 truckloads of cargo. As the COVID virus continues to evolve, including the recent discovery of the EG-5 variant, iHealth stays vigilant and adaptable by monitoring updates and trends.
Most recently, COVID hospitalizations in July in the U.S. saw its biggest spike since December 2022. For a recent week at the end of July, COVID-19 hospital admissions were up by 12% from the week before and emergency department visits were up by 17%, according to CDC data cited in a PBS news story.
iHealth saw a sales increase of nearly 80% of its COVID antigen rapid test in the second week of August over the first week, an indication of the public awareness of the uptick in cases and urgency in regular testing.
“With the recent rise in COVID cases, iHealth has ramped up production of our antigen rapid tests. We are committed and ready with our manufacturing capacity to support the increased need around the country for testing,” says iHealth CEO Jack Feng.
iHealth opened its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility in Irwindale in August 2022 to support and advance economic prosperity in the local community. The new facility spans 57,800 square feet and boasts 32 production lines. iHealth has created hundreds of local jobs and has a production capacity of up to one million tests per day, the company says.
“This new factory’s fulfillment of the federal government contract marks a new era of growth for iHealth,” says Jack Feng. “Securing this contract was a significant milestone for us in expanding our physical capacity and regional network to support further growth and development. Our investment in the new manufacturing facility aligns with our long-term strategy since it is equipped to produce other in vitro diagnostic medical devices, enabling the company to respond swiftly to changing requirements.”
