Long lines at Wake County COVID testing sites as the Christmas holiday nears
Update: “Wake County to double COVID test appointments starting Thursday”
Lines were long at many local COVID testing sites on Wednesday, as people rushed to ensure negative infection results in the days before Christmas.
People reported waiting anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes at Wake County’s Kidd Road testing site, with a line of cars stretching down nearby Sunnybrook Road.
Wake County switched to requiring appointments for COVID tests starting Dec. 1, but many of the people in line this week do not have appointments, officials said.
The rush for appointments also comes as North Carolina reported 4,889 new COVID-19 cases, an increase from the 2,894 added the day before, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the biggest jump in new cases since Oct. 1.
Data shows that 10.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive, as of Dec. 20, the latest date with available information, McClatchy reported. Officials have said the target rate is 5% or lower to slow the spread of the virus.
Here’s what Leah Holdren, a Wake County’s spokesperson, told The News & Observer about testing and appointments during this busy week:
How long are people waiting in line?
• Amount of time varies: The time needed to wait varies from site to site, Holdren said. Locations in Raleigh have more appointments and more traffic moving through them, while other smaller sites have parking lots that aren’t able to accommodate too many cars.
• Expect to wait: Long lines were also experienced last holiday season and during surges when appointments were not required, Holdren said.
“We ask the public to have patience as there are thousands of people trying to get tested around the county before the holidays,” Holdren said.
“We are having the people show up on the sites without appointments. This slows the process down, as the staff help them out of the line so they can pull over and make an appointment to allow those who have scheduled appointments through.”
Are lines separated for those who have appointments and those who don’t?
No. At Wake County testing sites, there is only one line.
“In order to avoid any confusion, we do not have any alternate entrances,” Holdren said.
Where can I get tested in Wake County?
Holdren recommended the following testing sites:
The following five 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 – Monday and Friday, noon to 6 p.m.721 N. Raleigh Blvd. in Raleigh
Care Tax Service – Monday through Friday, Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 909 Rock Quarry Rd. in Raleigh
Justice Served – Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 202 N. Tarboro St. in Raleigh
McDonald’s (adjacent parking lot) – Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 830 E. Williams St. in Apex
The Fountain of Raleigh Fellowship – Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 9621 Six Forks Rd. in Raleigh
NCDHHS also promotes Wake Toxicology, which offers drive-thru testing during weekdays and weekends at four locations throughout Wake County. They offer PCR tests with results back in 10 to 36 hours. Preregistration is required here. (Website: upoh.org/covid-testing) For more information, call 919-399-1215. They also offer rapid antigen testing.
Raleigh – 3804 New Bern Ave. in Raleigh, Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Raleigh – 8380 Six Forks Rd. Ste 201, in Raleigh, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cary – 590 E. Chatham St. in Cary, Monday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wake Forest – 11200 Capital Blvd. in Wake Forest, Monday through Saturday, 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How should I time a COVID test before a gathering?
The omicron variant can make you infectious more quickly than the delta variant, so experts encourage rapid tests no earlier than a few hours before a gathering, per Yahoo! News.
Dr. David Wohl, from the UNC School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, recommends testing twice:
- Three days before gathering: “If you are gathering with others during the holiday and expect to be unmasked indoors with them, I suggest all getting a PCR test at a pharmacy or clinic three days before to give you enough time to get the results back,” he said.
- The day of the gathering: Take a rapid home test.
“These viruses grow fast so testing 1 or 2 days before doesn’t work,” Dr. Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvard and a proponent of rapid testing, Tweeted on Dec. 12. “It doesn’t matter the type of test, the most important thing is to test just before the event of participation.”
Learn more about how omicron has changed the timing for COVID tests in this previous N&O report.
How to find a COVID-19 testing site
Here are some COVID testing sites in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. 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.
Learn more about finding a testing site in this previous N&O report.
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:
- Sort the table by “County,” “City,” “Date” or any column by clicking on the arrows in the top row.
- Click on the plus (+) sign for additional information about that event.
- 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. Search for “rapid testing” in the search box to find events that offer rapid testing. 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:
- Provide your information and create your Labcorp OnDemand account.
- Receive your sample collection kit via FedEx Priority Overnight shipping.
- Register your kit, collect your sample and send it back to the lab for testing.
- 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 22, 2021 at 1:34 PM.
