To provide our community with important public safety information, our newsroom is making stories related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.

In the wake of technical issues that had cast a shadow over its initial novel coronavirus testing efforts in Brevard, OMNI Healthcare announced it would begin COVID-19immunity checks at its Melbourne drive-through facility on Friday.

According to Craig Deligdish, OMNI Healthcare's medical director,starting Friday people will be able to drive up, have blood obtained via a stick of their finger through their car window, and get results within minutes.

The ability to test for antibodies to the novel coronavirus could be critical to rescind stay-at-home orders as public health officials say widespread testing is a key to reopening the economy.

The announcement of the new service comes hot on the heels of almost 400 of the Omni's coronavirus tests in Brevard being deemed "invalid," which OMNI's medical director reiterated Thursday was the fault of a technical error at a lab that the group had contracted to process the samples.

OMNI was initially told by the lab conducting the tests that the "invalid" tests were due to OMNI staff not screwing the cap onto sampling tubes tightly enough.

"That, we learned later, was not the problem," Deligdish told a news conference Thursday. "The problem was the laboratory was unable, incapable from a technical perspective, of testing the specimens we sent them," Deligdish said, adding that the issue has been corrected but that Omni has since stopped using the lab.

"Any patient whose test that came back as 'invalid,' " Deligdish said in an email, "was called and re-tested at no charge. All have been reported to the patient."

On Wednesday morning, the FDOH daily COVID-19 report had counted 391 inconclusive test results in Brevard, accounting for nearly a third of the state's total number of inconclusive results.

Maria Stahl, who heads up Florida Health Department in Brevard, initially attributed the number of inconclusive results to OMNI, but later said the "inconclusive" designation may have been "some coding issues" at the lab. Other counties, such as Dade, experienced similar issues, Stahl said, adding that state health officials were investigating the issue.

By Wednesday afternoon, Brevard's inconclusive numbers dropped down to just three.

OMNI has categorically denied receiving "inconclusive" test results from any of its contracted labs. The problem, according to Deligdish, came from Bio Reference Labs, a contractor they dropped on April 10.

Bio Reference Labs did not respond to inquiries from FLORIDA TODAY.

Unlike the testing for COVID-19 that OMNI rolled out last week, the new immunity tests show who's previously been infected and has antibodies to fight the coronavirus infection. Under most circumstances, the presence of antibodies against a virus means they are immune from getting infected again, at least for a period of time.

Only patients previously tested for the virus will be eligible for the finger test, OMNI says. Patients will be given the option of being tested for the virus and the antibody if they meet eligibility criteria.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration granted the first emergency authorization to use the immunity tests, validated by independent reference labs. The tests are manufactured in Australia, Canada, China, England and the United States.

OMNI will use kits manufactured in the U.S. and in other countries and will validate the tests in the context of a clinical trial in collaboration withEurofins, based in Europe.

“These immunity tests are extremely important to hospitals and others who are on the front lines of battling this pandemic,” Deligdish said in a prepared statement. “Healthcare workers and first responders who are immune to the coronavirus are desperately needed.

“The federal government is even considering issuing 'Certificates of Immunity' from the coronavirus to help reactivate the U.S. workforce and economy,” Deligdish added.

The immunity tests will be conducted at OMNI’s drive-through testing center at 1344 S. Apollo Blvd in Melbourne.

Patients without insurance will be charged $100 for immunity testing, according to OMNI's press release.

Drive-through testing sites have opened across the country as a way to test people for the virus while minimizing contact. Patients roll down their windows to receive a nose swab without leaving their cars.

Patients interested in being tested for the coronavirus immunity can make appointments by calling (321) 802-5515 or emailing covid@omnihealthcare.com. Testing will begin at 2 p.m. on April 17. OMNI expects to test as many as 1,000 patients daily at its Melbourne facility.

The Melbourne test collecting facility operates daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Testing will be billed to third party payers. Patients without insurance will be charged $100 for immunity testing. Once someone is determined to be immune and determined to be free of the COVID-19 virus, the current consensus is that they are no longer infectious, are immune from re-infection, and can stop social distancing.

Testing criteria at OMNI's location will be less strict than the Florida Department of Health's guidelines. Testing will be offered to patients who meet the following criteria:

All OMNI Health and Parrish Medical Center employees at risk

Anyone over the age of 60

Anyone over the age of 45 with at least one chronic condition

Patients can schedule testing with OMNI by calling 321-802-5515 and visit COVID19testbrevard.com for more information.

The FDOH will provide testing to the following people with COVID-19 symptoms:

Those age 65 and older

Those with underlying health conditions

First responders

Anyone who does not meet the above criteria, but has symptoms and a prescription from a medical doctor

Our journalists are working hard to report on the coronavirus and its effects on the Space Coast, and bring you the stories free of charge as a service to the community. If these local stories are important to you, support us by becoming a subscriber. Right now you can try a digital subscription for $3 for 3 months.

Jim Waymer is environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663

or jwaymer@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @JWayEnviro

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer

Support local journalism: It you would like to read more government and political news, and you are not a subscriber, please consider subscribing. For details, go to offers.floridatoday.com.