Posted on 05/24/2023 1:34:39 PM PDT by Steven Scharf
Abbott Labs lays off another 199 workers at Westbrook COVID-test plant
By Kay Neufeld May 23, 2023
Abbott Laboratories, one of the country’s largest producers of COVID-19 test kits, on Tuesday said it has laid off 199 workers at its Westbrook manufacturing facility because of dwindling demand for the tests.
The job cut follows one in February, and brings the number of Maine-based Abbott employees who have lost their positions over the past two years to more than 800.
In February, the Chicago-based pharmaceutical company did not provide an exact count of laid-off workers, though a notice sent to the Maine Department of Labor indicated 234 workers were affected.
In July 2021, Abbott laid off roughly 300 workers in Westbrook and 100 at a plant in Scarborough as test-kit demand began to wane.
“Now that COVID has transitioned to a more endemic, seasonal type of respiratory virus, we’re continuing to adjust our workforce to align with market conditions,” Abbott spokesman Scott Stoffel said Tuesday. “We continually evaluate our operations and make changes that reflect the strategic needs of our business.”
Abbott Laboratories produces its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card test kits at the two Maine locations and a factory in Illinois.
The company first ramped up Maine production at the start of the pandemic. Abbott already operated at the Scarborough production facility – the site of a former health care diagnostics business, Binax – and soon began turning out tests there. Later in 2020, Abbott expanded into a renovated sporting goods distribution center in Westbrook. In 2021, the company opened a research-and-development facility in South Portland.
But with fewer consumers now using the self-administered, rapid-response tests, Abbott has scaled back. Financial results released last month showed the company’s worldwide revenue from COVID-19 testing sales plummeted 77.9% from $3.3 billion in the first quarter of 2022 to $730 million in the first quarter of 2023. Abbott reported revenue of $43.7 billion in 2022, and has over 115,000 employees worldwide.
The February cutback may actually have been larger than the 234 temporary jobs reported to the Department of Labor. Representatives from the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the state’s Peer Workforce Navigator program said roughly 1,000 people – many of whom were immigrants – lost temp positions in that layoff, which ran through March.
Another Maine manufacturer, Guilford-based Puritan Medical Products, also has made job cuts after a COVID-related hiring spree. In March, the company furloughed 251 workers at its Pittsfield facility, where Puritan manufactures nasal swabs for COVID-19 test kits.
In addition, the state Department of Health and Human Services last year moved 45 employees from a Wilton call center to other sites following an end to COVID-19 contact tracing, which was temporarily handled at the call center.
"roughly 1,000 people – many of whom were immigrants – lost temp positions in that layoff, which ran through March."
These were temp employees so they did not have to report the layoffs to the state. I suspect they were working through a temp agency and one has to wounder what thier immigration status is. There were a lot of people looking for jobs in the last several months while the state's unemployment rate continued to go down.
COVID-19 testing sales plummeted 77.9% from $3.3 billion in the first quarter of 2022 to $730 million in the first quarter of 2023
I suspect 90% of that 3.3 billion was paid for by the feds.
Thank God
Maybe Walmart can start hiring cashiers!
Considering the test never worked to begin with I’m surprised they lasted this long.
I have received eight covid test kits in the mail so far this year. They went right into the trash.
The Chinese Communist Coronavirus HOAX was all about $$$$$$$$, BILLIONS of $$$$$$$$$$$!!!
Buck and Clay suggested legislation be enacted to “claw back” every dollar of “profit” these sleazy companies made!
IIRC, the Feds allocated $2 BILLION to purchase 220,000,000 of these test kits.
Fly by night groups such as First Bio Lab (Irvine, CA), CA Warehouse (Temecula, CA), Accurate Clinical Laboratories, Inc. (Chicago, IL), Ace Biomedical Lab (Jacksonville, FL), Seko Ste College DC (Stte College, PA), Biolabs, LLC (Escondido, CA), Qualitox Laboratories, LLC (Pittsbugh. PA) and Biological Laboratory, Inc. (San Dimas, CA) have been sending “FRee” Chinese Communist Coronavirus self-test kits to FRiends of mine who are on Medicare and have NOT requested them!
Qualitox Laboratories, LLC, billed Medicare $96.00 in 11/30/22; Medicare paid $94.08 for four of these “Test kits.”
Biological Laboratory, Inc. (San Dimas, CA) billed Medicare $160.00 on 12/28/22; Medicare paid $94.08 for four of these “Test kits.”
All EIGHT Chinese Communist Coronavirus test kits were sent to my 88 year old FRiend who DID NOT REQUEST them!
The other “Companies” mentioned above sent test kits to my wife and serveral other FRiends. When queried, they all said they did not request these kits be sent.
I have taken many phone calls FRom non-native English speakers trying to get me to accept these kits “FRee of charge.” I AKWAYS refuse their offer! So far, I have not received any test kits.
I am in the process of blowing the whistle on these scammers!
Any other FReepers had a similar experience?
It’s worse than not working.
I was talking to a Sutter employee who said they throw out thousands of the test kits every week. It appears the Covid fad is over.
Biden’s covid emergency ending pulled the slush funds.
I didn’t request them either. I’m going to check to see if my Medicare account has been billed.
Thanks for the information.
The pandemic-con is over. I still see idiots wearing masks, I’m guessing that they are having a difficult time accepting the fact that they bought into the scam.
Briiinng. Turn off alarm clock. Put on glasses. Brush teeth. Get dressed. Wallet in pants. Drink coffee. Grab car keys. Put on mask. Look stupid.
Yes, they have been conditioned. Twenty years ago, the American public would have told them to go pound sand.
Which reminds me -— we keep getting unsolicited vivid tests in the mail. Not requested by us or our doctor. And Medicare is being billed and they are paying for them. I feel like this is a scam. Anyone else experiencing this?
You are most welcome!
AFAIK, not one of my FRiends (nor my DW or I) have asked for them! When the people with foreigh accents call, we hang up!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.