Here’s where to get a COVID test in Wake County on New Year’s weekend
To accommodate a surge in demand for COVID-19 testing, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is opening at least two new drive-thru testing sites in and around Raleigh, officials announced Wednesday.
A drive-thru testing site that opened last week at the Word of God Assembly Church in Southeast Raleigh will continue offering tests this week and early next week, according to Wake County spokesperson Stacy Beard.
On Friday, the county will open a drive-thru testing site at PNC Arena in Raleigh, and on Monday, another drive-thru site will be opened at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, Beard said in a news release.
The opening of the new sites comes as Wake had record numbers of daily tests administered on Monday, and again on Tuesday, when a total of 13,379 tests were conducted, Beard said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, with testing still underway across the county’s five existing sites, county officials expected that the single-day record could be broken yet again, Beard said.
To help expedite the process, Beard said, people coming to one of the county’s testing sites should have their appointment confirmation emails ready when they arrive.
The county’s sites are separate from the three new sites that are being operated by DHHS and its testing vendor, Mako Medical.
People coming to Wake sites should “have their QR code sent in the appointment confirmation email ready so that staff on site can scan, and in seconds, they can move to the next tent for their testing kit,” Beard said.
The county’s testing sites still have appointments available for Thursday, will be closed on Friday and will reopen Saturday. Wake County previously said sites would be closed Saturday.
Appointments for the county’s sites can be made at: wakegov.com/covid-19-information/no-cost-covid-19-testing.
New COVID sites opened by DHHS
The three sites that have been or are being opened by DHHS do not require appointments, but do require online registration with Mako Medical, the department’s testing vendor.
Testing at these sites will not carry any out-of-pocket costs for customers, Beard said. Staff at the sites may ask for insurance information, but it is not required.
Word of God Assembly Church
Located at 3000 Rock Quarry Road, this site will be open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Wednesday, Dec. 29 to Friday, Dec. 31, and again next week, on Monday, Jan. 3 and Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Test results at this location will be available in 12 to 28 hours, officials said.
The site doesn’t require appointments, but you do need to register online at this link before heading over there, the county said.
As of Wednesday, wait times at this location were being reported as minimal, Beard said.
PNC Arena
Tests will be administered at Gate E of the stadium, at 1400 Edwards Mill Road, the county said. Results at this location will also be available in 12 to 28 hours.
Online registration is required at this link.
Officials said the site will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Jan. 31.
Testing will only be available 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following days when games or other events are scheduled: Jan. 7, 12, 13, 19, 21, 25 and 31.
Five County Stadium
This site, home to the Carolina Mudcats baseball team, will also be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice.
Test results at this location are expected to be available in 24 to 28 hours.
Online registration, which is also required at this site, can be done at this link.
Other Wake County testing sites
The five other sites Wake County has available are open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for New Years hours.
These sites are closed on New Year’s Eve and open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
All locations and directions can be found at wakegov.com/testing. Here are the five sites:
- Wake County Southern Regional Center — 130 N. Judd Parkway NE in Fuquay-Varina
- Wake County Northern Regional Center — 350 E. Holding Ave. in Wake Forest
- Wake County Eastern Regional Center — 1002 Dogwood Drive in Zebulon
- Vision Church RDU Parking Lot — 5808 Departure Drive in Raleigh
- Wake County Health & Human Services Center Parking Lot — 2845 Kidd Road in Raleigh
Wake Toxicology is another option, and drive-thru testing is available weekdays and weekends throughout Wake County and one in Durham.
- PCR tests are offered with results back in 10 to 36 hours.
- Pre-registration is required here: waketoxicology.com
- For more info, call 919-399-1215 or 984-810-3479.
- Wake Toxicology also offers rapid-testing — call or go online for more information.
And these five drive-thru sites, sponsored by United Providers of Health, offer ongoing PCR tests with results back from the lab within 24 to 48 hours (via email).
Register for a time slot at any of them by calling 800-701-1023 or registering here. (Website: upoh.org/covid-testing)
Boys and Girls Club — 721 N. Raleigh Blvd. in Raleigh
Care Tax Service — 909 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh
Justice Served — 202 N. Tarboro St. in Raleigh
McDonald’s (adjacent parking lot) — 830 E. Williams St. in Apex
The Fountain of Raleigh Fellowship — 9621 Six Forks Road in Raleigh
Kimberly Cataudella contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 3:52 PM.
