Wait times now 4-5 hours at this Thurston drive-thru test site as COVID-19 surges
People visiting the Providence drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Hawks Prairie have waited as long as 4 to 5 hours this week, Providence said in a news release.
The testing site had to turn away people by 11:30 a.m. Thursday as the site hit capacity with over 200 cars in line, the release read. The increased wait times substantially surpassed the reported hour and a half wait times in October and coincide with an alarming rise in cases across the county.
“Come to the testing site if you are feeling symptomatic or have a COVID-19 exposure,” said Kevin Caserta, Chief Medical Officer for Providence Southwest Washington, “but understand our caregivers are providing the very best care possible and wait times may be long as the COVID-19 virus continues to be rampant in our community.”
In response to the demand, administrators are looking to use contracted labor to expand hours at the drive-thru which has tested more than 25,000 people since March, the release read. Currently, the drive-thru operates weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The number of people in Thurston County diagnosed each week has been increasing to record levels over the past several weeks. The county health department reported Tuesday that 189 people tested positive during the week starting Nov. 2 after 165 people tested positive the week starting Oct. 26.
The county reported 62 new cases Tuesday, exceeding a previous daily record of 47, then 47 more cases Wednesday and 51 Thursday.
With the winter weather and holiday season approaching, there is concern cases may continue to rise, said Thurston County Public Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek in the release.
“COVID-19 is prevalent in our community,” Abdelmalek said. “It is imperative members of our community continue to refrain from social gatherings, wear masks that cover the nose and mouth, stay at least six feet apart from non-household members, and use proper hand hygiene. We need to take special caution of gathering in groups during the upcoming holiday season.”
The drive-thru, located on Marvin Road Northeast in Lacey, offers triage testing and necessary tests for symptomatic patients and those preparing for surgery at Providence St. Peter Hospital, the release read. From there, tests are processed by LabCorp and patients are notified of their results in about two days.
With surging levels of COVID-19 in the county, lab capacity may be impacted, causing further delays in receiving results, said Abdelmalek in the release.
“If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and you are getting tested, stay home while you await your results. Do not go to work, school, or other public places,” Abdelmalek said.
