Fulton County to hand out 50,000 at-home COVID-19 test kits

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County is waiting on a delivery of almost 50,000 COVID-19 test kits.

The free home tests should have arrived Monday. Once they do, Fulton County will release details on who can get one.

Fulton Commission Chairman Rob Pitts got a tour of the county’s COVID-19 response center and warehouse in Alpharetta, where the kits will be stored.

He expects the tests to go quickly.

“My anticipation is that we will run through this 46,000 to 50,000 right away and in the meantime if the President hasn’t starting dispersing the 500 million he’s talking about, then we will use county funds to purchase more,” Pitts said.

Online registration through Fulton County’s website reopened Tuesday afternoon. Like in fall 2021, the chairman says they’ll target zip codes mostly in South Fulton County, and most of the city of Atlanta.

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“We will be using those specifically in areas where demand and need is the greatest,” Pitts said. “Specifically, Black and brown communities where health disparities exist.”

Fulton County will not do a mass giveaway like DeKalb County did the last week of the year with 5,000 free tests.

They will also keep open testing sites at the South Government Center on Stonewall Tell Road and in Alpharetta on North Point Parkway.

Some waiting in line for testing welcome the chance to take an at-home test instead.

“I would rather do it at home, but if this is what I have I’m going to be here,” said Robert Jones.

Rometta Powell also got tested at the drive-up site in South Fulton County Tuesday.

“If I really think I’ve actually been exposed to someone, I would rather come here. If doing it on a weekly basis, then a home test would be great,” Powell said.

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