Despite 100K COVID-19 Tests in 10 Days, Georgia Lags In Mass Testing

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Effective immediately, testing is available to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. / GPB News

The Georgia Department of Public Health reached its goal of testing 100,000 individuals in 10 days, but the state is still behind on mass testing.

More than 108,000 tests — or about 1% of Georgia's 10.6 million residents — were processed since DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen E. Toomey set the testing goal last week.

Toomey said reaching this many tests is an important benchmark for Georgia as the state health department works to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Increased testing is critical to understanding where there are hotspots of infection and how best to mitigate them," she said.

Only about 2% of Georgians have been tested in total since the end of March and about 14% of those tests came back positive. 

Testing is now available to all Georgians who request it, regardless if they're experiencing symptoms, to stay ahead of outbreaks. 

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Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Homer Bryson said the federal government will deliver another 210,000 test swabs to the state throughout the month of May.

Gov. Brian Kemp said the change in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention means those without symptoms can contact their doctor, local health department or use a free app from Augusta University to start the testing process.

“And that's why we have opened up the criteria, as the governor said,  that anyone who wants to get a test regardless of their symptoms can be tested,” Toomey said. “We want to ensure that everyone who wants to get test can get can get access to free testing through one of our sites."

There are more than 65 specimen point of collection sites throughout the state, with an additional 30 mobile SPOCs—locations and hours may vary.

Individuals wanting to be tested can contact any Georgia public health department to schedule an appointment at a SPOC location convenient to them. Contact information for local health departments can be found on the DPH homepage at https://dph.georgia.gov/.