A CORONAVIRUS testing Lighthouse laboratory – the first in Wales – is up running in Newport.

The testing lab is processing samples as part of the UK-wide Lighthouse scheme.

The site, in Duffryn's Imperial Park, began analysing samples on Monday, and is expected to process up to 20,000 coronavirus tests every day by the end of the month.

Set up by PerkinElmer, Newport's Lighthouse lab has created 200 new jobs. The firm is also due to open another Lighthouse lab in Leicestershire.

The Newport lab had originally been set to open in August, but recruitment problems were blamed for its delayed opening.

The Lighthouse lab network processes tests for the whole of the UK under the management of the Department for Health and Social Care.

Covid-19 tests collected in Wales can be processed by Lighthouse labs or by Wales' own internal laboratories.

Miles Burrows, the managing director of PerkinElmer in the UK, said: "It is imperative to have a dedicated testing strategy that rapidly identifies individuals carrying the virus, and we're pleased to have the Newport facility to help fulfil this mission.

"Our best-in-class technologies combined with our turnkey approach are ideally suited to align with the DHSC's desire to ramp up testing.

"Laboratories across the UK will be able to maintain maximum capacity, while also being able to quickly respond to evolving public health needs."