(CNN) Several firefighters who responded to a nursing home in Washington state that's at the epicenter of the US outbreak will have to be in quarantine longer because lab bottlenecks are delaying test results.

Firefighters who responded to calls from the Life Care Center in Kirkland were swabbed for testing samples that were sent to the state testing lab -- but there was such a bottleneck at the lab that at least seven samples expired, a first responder familiar with the situation told CNN.

"The response has been putrid," the first responder told CNN. "While we keep hearing about increased testing availability and lifting restrictions on who can be tested, none of that is making a difference when the tests can't be processed in a timely manner."

Testing has been expedited for nine police officers and firefighters, and new tests were arranged within an hour of finding out the news regarding the viability of the samples, according to Kellie Stickney, communications manager for the city of Kirkland.

"Tests for firefighters, police officers, husbands, wives and children are being left to expire while we know the disease is spreading," the source told CNN. "This is a matter of public safety and the response is failing. Availability of tests is not equaling results."

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