Parsons Corporation has secured a seat on the potential $2 billion Department of Homeland Security (DHS) multi-award COVID-19 testing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, the company reported on Monday. Testing will support DHS employees and includes two functional categories: managed testing services; molecular diagnostic test kits and testing services.
“As the world grapples with the COVID-19 virus, we must continue developing innovative technology that helps society return to a safe living and working environment,” said Chuck Harrington, chief executive officer of Parsons and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.
Under the contract, Parsons will provide flexible and innovative testing solutions that will enhance safety of DHS employees and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The company’s offerings will be point-of-care or laboratory-based solutions that support operational concepts for screening capabilities.
“We look forward to partnering with the Department of Homeland Security on proactive health solutions that protect their employees and reduce the risk of disease spread while maintaining operational efficiency,” Harrington added.
Harrington previously reported that running sprints with employees enabled the company to develop new technology products as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the sprints resulted in the development of a contactless kiosk that checks a person’s temperature, respiratory and heart rates against a possible infection called DetectWise, mobile screening decontamination labs and virtualized traffic management centers.
Harrington also mentioned Parsons’ work on a diamond-tip sensor to help with the coronavirus detection and the potential deployment of DetectWise to schools and universities. Harrington discussed Parsons’ efforts to continue to carry out classified work in support of intelligence agency clients during the pandemic.
“In some cases, a fairly large percentage of the work can actually be done in an open environment,” he noted. “So we and our customers worked out methods to do that and in assuring that the last percentage, which varies by the type of task we do, could be done in a [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility] with the correct social spacing and appropriate personal protective equipment.”
