Health Team

Free COVID-19 tests now offered after work, on weekends

As average daily COVID-19 cases hover above 2,000, Wake County is making it easier for people to get tested for the virus.

Posted Updated

By
Kasey Cunningham
and
Joe Fisher, WRAL reporters
RALEIGH, N.C. — As North Carolina's average daily COVID-19 cases hover above 2,000, Wake County is making it easier for people to get tested for the virus.

Daytime, evening and weekend testing is now being offered at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral off Western Boulevard and Nazareth Street in Raleigh.

Drive-thru testing is offered outside the church along with a park and walk-up option. So far, more than 60 people have been tested at the new location, and hundreds of open slots are available now.

Over the weekend, testing will be offered between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Wake County is still offering free drive-thru testing at its base site, the Sunnybrook Road parking deck, and in Wake Forest at Radeas Labs on Gateway Commons Circle.

Who should get tested?

Even if someone does not feel sick, they could still have coronavirus. Research suggests that about half of all transmission events can be traced back to individuals still in the so-called pre-symptomatic stage, before they start to feel ill. Some people will never develop symptoms of the virus, health officials said.
If someone has had close contact with another person who has tested positive for the coronavirus, they should get tested, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials say someone who was exposed to the coronavirus should also quarantine for 14 days.

Officials advise that people who have attended large gatherings -- like protests or rallies -- should also be tested for the coronavirus.

To sign up for a coronavirus test, go to Wake County's website.

Typically, if someone tests positive, the county will reach out to them via cell phone in two days. Patients can view their test results online or using LabCorp's Patient portal app. When arriving at the testing site, patients will receive information about how to view their test results.

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