The XpresSpa Group and Ginkgo Bioworks will continue to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) traveler-based SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance program through a new contract awarded this month.
The partnership is expected to support public health and biosecurity services totaling approximately $16 million, with an overall potential to exceed $61 million, based on CDC program options and public health priorities.
As COVID-19 threats continue to emerge, the partners plan to expand the program footprint and incorporate innovative modalities and offerings, such as monitoring of wastewater from aircraft lavatories.
Ginkgo Bioworks and the XpresCheck division of the XpresSpa Group partnered with the CDC in August 2021 to deliver timely public health data on SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the first U.S. detections of Omicron BA.2 and BA.3. The joint biosecurity efforts currently operate in four of the busiest international airports in the U.S.: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK); Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR); San Francisco International Airport (SFO); and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
“Building upon the foundation we previously established amidst the height of the pandemic, the evolution of this program is biosurveillance at scale, and we believe will deliver a further fortified frontline defense to the identification of and protection against COVID-19,” stated Ezra Ernst, XpresCheck CEO. “With our understanding of travelers during their journey, alongside the expertise of CDC and Concentric, we’re bringing peace of mind to the public and providing public health officials with key insights to track the spread of disease.”
