All Georgians with coronavirus symptoms can get tested for COVID-19 at state-run collection sites, the Georgia Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
The announcement comes after Gov. Brian Kemp and state health commissioner Kathleen Toomey told reporters Monday that the state would increase the number of specimen collection sites across the state and relax some of its test requirements.
Kemp previously said that only symptomatic critical infrastructure workers and asymptomatic individuals who have had direct contact with positive COVID-19 patients would be included in the state’s expanded testing policy.
“We recognize that we probably made it a little bit too hard for people to get in because we were requiring people to get a referral from a physician,” Toomey said as she acknowledged the state’s low testing per capita numbers Monday. “We want to make it easier for us to see patients.”
Health care workers, first responders, law enforcement and long-term care facility residents and staff with or without symptoms will still be prioritized for testing, state officials said.
You’ll still need a referral to be tested. Health care providers and local health departments can refer patients to DPH test sites. Once you’ve been evaluated, a public health official or a health care provider will provide you with a number.
Only those with a number will be referred to drive-thru testing sites, state health officials said.
“People should not arrive unannounced or without a scheduled appointment at a specimen collection site, hospital, emergency room or other health care facility,” the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a news release.
As of noon April 15, Georgia has 14,987 coronavirus cases and 552 deaths.