Based at Liverpool Science Park, BioGrad Diagnostics is one of only a handful of northern firms to be approved to provide testing for people arriving from abroad

Liverpool laboratory business BioGrad Diagnostics has secured a place on the Government’s approved list of providers of the day 2 and day 8 coronavirus testing for international arrivals.

Known as the Government’s travel test package, day 2 day 8 testing is required for all international arrivals to England during their mandatory 10 day quarantine period. BioGrad is the only Liverpool organisation to be added to the list of mainly southern-based companies.

As well as day 2 and day 8 testing, approved companies must also provide genome sequencing to detect the strain of the virus in a positive test. BioGrad has partnered with Manchester-based Yourgene Health plc, offering a fully-rounded North West-based service.

It comes as BioGrad opens its first London clinic this week near Heathrow Airport with subsequent national locations to be announced imminently. The expansion is part of a seven-figure investment that will see its operations grow across the country and the creation of 150 new jobs.

On Wednesday, another Liverpool testing provider, Dam Health Group, said it was creating 100 new jobs in a national and international expansion of its testing capacity.

Dr Natalie Kenny, chief executive of BioGrad Diagnostics, said: “Once again this news is a further endorsement for our services and the professionalism and expertise of the BioGrad team who make our growth possible.

“I am really proud that this hard work has been further recognised by the Government. It allows us to provide even more access to our gold standard healthcare on a national scale.”