UNC Health halts asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in emergency departments

UNC Health announced Saturday that it is halting asympmtomatic COVID-19 testing in its emergency departments.

"Effective immediately, UNC Health hospitals will no longer administer COVID tests to the general public who are not experiencing symptoms in their emergency departments," said UNC Health in a statement.

UNC Health said the impact of the Omicron variant has caused emergency departments across the country to become overwhelmed emergency departments at hospitals across the nation have been overwhelmed with patients, including UNC Health hospitals.

“To ensure that our EDs have the time and tools to properly care for all patients seeking emergent care in our hospitals across North Carolina, we are pausing COVID testing for patients without symptoms,” said UNC Health Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Matt Ewend. “Our EDs will only test patients for COVID-19 if they have symptoms or require admission to the hospital for other reasons.”

UNC Health said it is following guidance which the NC Department of Health and Human Services provided this week.