During a situation assessment that took place Thursday, Defense Minister Benny Gantz instructed the defense establishment to prepare for the assistance of the medical system in increasing the number of coronavirus tests.
Following the assessment, and at the request of the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Production and Procurement in the Ministry of Defense has launched a negotiation process with My Heritage in order to increase the company’s laboratory output threefold within a few weeks - from 10,000 daily tests to about 30,000 tests per day.
The Ministry of Defense also aims to shorten response times by expanding automation processes and connecting the laboratory directly to healthcare providers.
The Directorate of Production and Procurement in the Ministry of Defense hopes to sign an agreement with My Heritage in the coming days.
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense is working to assist the Ministry of Health and healthcare providers in purchasing and bringing testing equipment to Israel, in order to support and strengthen the activities of local testing labs.