Want a COVID test before the holidays? Where and how to get one in the Triangle.

As COVID cases rise and the contagious omicron variant spreads, Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday urged people to get vaccinated and tested before gathering with family and friends for the upcoming holidays.

We’ve broken down ways to find tests and community events in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, along with ways to get tested at home. The NC Department of Health and Human Services has a complete list of testing and vaccine resources. Information is also available in Spanish.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to find a COVID-19 testing site

Here are some COVID testing sites in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill available as of Dec. 20. Use the COVID-19 Test Site Finder for a complete list.

Raleigh:

• Raleigh Pharmacy — 927 W Morgan St. Suite 100, 919-703-0154, testing available for ages 2 and older
• Wake County Health & Human Services Center (Swinburne Building) — 2845 Kidd Road, 919-263-1150
• AFC Urgent Care Raleigh Midtown — 2913 Wake Forest Road, Screening and appointment required, call 919-899-4000 for instructions
• Curative mobile testing — LGBT Center of Raleigh, 19 W. Hargett St., Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church, 622 Maywood Ave. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Testing is free, both shallow nasal PCR testing and antigen testing is offered. Walk-up testing is available. Appointments can be made at curative.com.

Durham:

• Lincoln Community Health Center — 1301 Fayetteville St., 919-956-4034, screening and appointment required.
• Duke University Hospital — 2301 Erwin Road, 919-385-0429, drive-thru testing site, appointment and screening required, physician’s order required, testing available for ages 13 and older.
• New Hope Urgent Care — 3610 North Roxboro St., 919-247-0498, appointment and screening required, physician’s order required, testing available for ages 18 and older.

Chapel Hill:

• UNC Health Urgent Care — 102 Mason Farm Road, 984-974-5910, appointment and screening required.
• FastMed Urgent Care — 1407 E Franklin St., 919-913-0996, screening required, antibody testing available
• Med First — 1728 North Fordham Blvd., Ram’s Plaza, Suite 151, 919-968-1985, screening required, testing available for ages 1 and older.

How to find free community testing events

The state’s DHHS has a regularly updated table on its website with information about no-cost community testing events.

Here’s how to find one:

1. Sort the table by “County,” “City,” “Date” or any column by clicking on the arrows in the top row.
2. Click on the plus (+) sign for additional information about that event.
3. Use the “Search” box right above the table. You can enter your ZIP Code, city or other information to search the list.

Some sites offer rapid tests, and typically provide results in 30 minutes or less. A rapid test may need to be followed up with an additional lab test to confirm the result, according to the North Carolina DHHS website.

How to use the free COVID-19 test home collection kit program

North Carolina DHHS is partnering with Labcorp to provide free, at-home COVID-19 testing kits eligible residents. Those over the age of 2 who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or may have been exposed can order a testing kit from Labcorp’s website.

How it works:

1. Provide your information and create your Labcorp OnDemand account.
2. Receive your sample collection kit via FedEx Priority Overnight shipping.
3. Register your kit, collect your sample and send it back to the lab for testing.
4. Access your results online.

Watch this video to learn how to use the kit.

Talk to your healthcare provider

Your regular health care provider may also offer testing. Contact your provider for details.

Pick up an at-home testing kit from your pharmacy, online

Check out The N&O’s guide to at-home testing.

Learn more about where to buy kits, how to use them and how accurate they are. At-home COVID-19 tests are an option for anyone who can’t make it to a testing site.

This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 5:49 PM.

Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

The News & Observer

919-419-6630

Kimberly Tutuska (she/her) is the editor of North Carolina’s service journalism team.