Officials with the Georgia Department of Public Health are telling Georgians to stay away from hospital emergency departments if all they want is a COVID-19 test.
"Individuals seeking COVID testing should not go to hospital emergency departments unless they are experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms requiring urgent medical attention," read a statement issued Wednesday afternoon by DPH. "Asymptomatic individuals or individuals with mild symptoms should find testing sites other than hospital emergency departments."
At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Gov. Brian Kemp also discussed the importance of keeping hospital emergency rooms clear for people who need treatment for serious health problems.
"We're urging Georgians to do their COVID testing at primary care locations, public health sites or use reliable at-home testing kits," Kemp said.
The statement from DPH said the agency is working with lab partners to expand testing hours and add testing sites, but lines right now are long as thousands of Georgians want to be tested as the omicron variant surges across the state.
Natasha Young, spokeswoman for District 2 Public Health in North Georgia, said the locations in her region have not been impacted by lack of supply.
"The six District 2 PCR testing sites operated by Mako and LTS have not experienced any issue with PCR testing supplies," Young said in an email. "In terms of wait times, we are seeing a high demand at our test sites, especially in our larger counties [Hall and Forsyth]. The wait times do vary depending on the time of day and the number of cars waiting to be tested."
Young said she recommends registering before showing up at a test site in order to reduce the wait time for a test.
To find a test site anywhere in the state, follow this link.
Public health officials continue to recommend vaccination as a way to combat severe COVID symptoms. The latest data on the DPH vaccine dashboard shows 60% of Georgians have received one dose of vaccine, while 53% have received two doses; 16% have received their third booster dose.
As the omicron variant spreads, health officials are reminding Georgians of basic prevention measures such as frequent hand washing, physical distancing and wearing of masks.
