GURNEE, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A north suburban plant that manufacturers COVID tests is going back on line.
Abbott Labs is starting up its Gurnee plant that makes the BinaxNOW tests.
The plant had closed in June, because demand for COVID tests had dropped. But now, with the Delta variant raging through much of the country, the need is back, and so Abbott is hiring people to re-start production of its BinaxNOW tests. Some 2,000 people had worked at the plant when it closed a few months ago.
An Abbott spokesman said the company is hiring for temporary positions that will start at $20 an hour. People who previously worked for Abbott will be given preferential treatment in hiring.
The Abbott product is an antigen test. A person swabs her or his nose and wipes the swab on a test card that’s mixed with a testing reagent. Results appear about 15 minutes later.
A number of schools use the Abbott COVID test.