This Bellingham lab has run a million COVID-19 tests and is hiring 115 more employees

As new cases of COVID-19 continue to spike, a Bellingham lab that provides testing services is recruiting 115 new employees and reorganizing its space to meet increasing and ongoing demand.

Northwest Laboratory also needs more employees to contend with worker burnout, a national trend explored in a Dec. 3 New York Times article about the non-stop demand on lab techs who have run more than 205 million tests nationally since the pandemic began, and the strain they’re working under.

“This is probably the biggest thing our lab faces right now — burnout of staff,” said Jenny Bull, chief operating officer for Northwest Laboratory, referencing the Times story.