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Demand up for COVID-19 tests in Prince William County
FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis reports that over the last 10 days, testing for the coronavirus has exponentially increased in Prince William County at a dozen testing sites across the county.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis reports that over the last 10 days, testing for the coronavirus has exponentially increased in Prince William County at a dozen testing sites across the county.
On Monday afternoon, lines were wrapped around Metz Junior High School –– one of a dozen coronavirus testing sites.
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In Prince William County, testing is free and available for anyone who lives or works in Prince William County, Manassas or Manassas Park.
Due to the higher demand nationwide and across the area, Prince William County leaders say test result notification times will be increasing.
Currently, notification times are ranging between four to five days but people who were tested Monday say they were told they can expect results in up to 10 days.
Nurse Practitioner Diane Alvarez (R) examines Guillermo Birmingham while testing him for the novel coronavirus at the Velocity Urgent Care April 15, 2020 in Woodbridge, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
While staff does not ask people why they are being tested, many who are getting tested across several sites countywide have referenced their plans to travel for this Thanksgiving Day and some have said they fear they may have been exposed to the coronavirus.
Right now, there’s reportedly an ample supply of test kits available.
Lab capacity is reportedly limiting the number of tests Prince William County administers each day. For example, the Woodbridge Senior Center had to shut down early Monday morning due to capacity limits.
The recommendation varies, but the rule of thumb is if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, immediately self-quarantine and get tested at least five days from exposure –– any sooner you could test negative.