LONDON ONT. -- Officials at the London Health Science Centre say their testing instruments required to process COVID-19 tests have now been repaired.

The Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PaLM) COVID-19 testing laboratory experienced an unexpected and critical downtime of its testing instruments Thursday.

The tests collected from the assessment centres were still being completed, however.

LHSC says there is a one-day backlog of COVID-19 test results due to the unexpected and critical downtime, but it is expected that the normal 24-hour turnaround for test results will resume on Monday.

"COVID-19 testing is an important part of keeping our community safe and we are working diligently to restore these testing instruments and anticipate a resolution soon," the hospital says.