Town of Garner testing facility closes early, runs out of tests
Many lines to get a COVID-19 test in North Carolina are long, and some people are reporting waiting more than a week to get their results.
Posted — UpdatedA Town of Garner testing facility at Avery Street Recreation Center had to stop testing people earlier than expected on Thursday because the facility ran out of COVID-19 tests. Before noon, 361 people had been tested.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said more people are getting tested as confirmed positive cases continue to trend upward.
Cohen said, although the demand for tests is high and wait times may be long, North Carolina is still able to accommodate everyone who desires a test.
"Our response capabilities are stable though there are longer wait times for test results," she said.
WRAL News talked to people getting tests, and some said they waited two weeks for results -- the length of an entire isolation period. At a Smithfield testing site on Wednesday, lines were wrapped around the parking lot, and witnesses said cars were in line two hours before testing started.
Johnston County Health Director Marilyn Pearson said, at 14%, the rate of tests that come back positive in Johnston County is high, making turnaround time a challenge.
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