Gwinnett health officials request more help for testing capacity

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — One metro county says its demand for coronavirus testing is at a breaking point. Gwinnett County is now asking the state for help to open more sites in the area.

Channel 2′s Tony Thomas went to the new pop-up testing site Friday in Norcross. Cars were lined up back through the parking lot well before it was set to open.

At Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, Gwynette Clements sat in line for two hours.

“It doesn’t matter how long the wait is, I’d advise everyone to get a test,” she said.

The Gwinnett County Public Health Department is testing about 5,000 people a week. But Channel 2 Action News has heard from many people across metro Atlanta who are struggling to land an appointment.

“What I’m seeing is location after location, no appointments available,” resident Darryl Yosue said.

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Yosue is definitely not alone. Thomas went online late Friday trying to book a COVID-19 test appointment. Both private companies and health departments in Gwinnett were booked.

“All these testing sites and you can’t get in. It’s totally frustrating,” resident Peggy Crowell said.

Crowell has tried for four days while her daughter and daughter’s fiance were driving an hour to Athens for potential tests.

“It’s a problem throughout the state,” said Dr. Audrey Arona.

The head of the Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton Health Department said capacity right now is a statewide issue.

Arona insists while her department is watching its stock of COVID-19 tests very closely, it’s been fine so far. The capacity to do tests and get the results back though is stretched thin.

“All this has to be ramped up to meet the demand of the public because it’s all been increased in the last few weeks,” Arona said. “We need more test kits and we need the ability of a lab to be able to run these tests quicker, faster.”

Gwinnett has stopped allowing walk-ups and moved to appointment-only at its testing sites. As for Crowell, she’s still looking for a testing site, even after waiting all night.

“Who can sit up all night long just hitting these websites for an available times? It’s ridiculous.”

The county is in talks with a vendor for additional pop-up testing sites and requested aid from the federal government to ramp up testing and lab capacity.

Results about three weeks ago were taking two to three days. That’s up to five days and growing right now.

People waiting in long lines to get COVID-19 tests as numbers continue to rise Some people waited more than an hour to get tested.

Cox Media Group