New Lab Formations Continue To Boom

The extraordinary demand for Covid-19 PCR, antigen and antibody testing continues to fuel a record number of new CLIA-certified lab formations, according to the latest CMS data analyzed by Laboratory Economics. More than 7,000 new CLIA lab certificates were issued in the second quarter (April 1-June 30, 2021). The all-time high (12,000+ new CLIA labs) occurred in the fourth quarter of 2020. The boom has created a huge demand for lab workers that had already been in short supply before the pandemic.