Raleigh, N.C. — While some people waited up to two hours in traffic on Friday morning for a COVID-19 test, long lines had abated by early afternoon. A drive-thru COVID-19 test site sponsored by Mako Medical, outside of Word of God Fellowship Church on Rock Quarry Road, was one of few open on Christmas Eve.
Mako replied to long lines by increasing staff from seven in the morning to 20 by 1 p.m., easing the pre-Christmas crush.
Those in line told WRAL News they were motivated by a desire to know their COVID-19 status ahead of family Christmas gatherings, given the recent rise in cases attributed to the fast-spreading omicron variant.
“A lot of people want to know. They are having parties and inviting families over for gatherings, and they want to know if they test positive or not,” said Richard Limehouse of Raleigh.
“We just wanted to make sure we protected our family in case of any exposures and what not,” Kenny Collinshaw said.
With his wife and 6-month-old daughter, Collinshaw plans to gather with about 10 people on Christmas.
“My biggest concern is my child. She can’t be vaccinated. That’s why we are all taking this measure as a family,” he said.
A man who gave his name as Karl said, “We have someone coming who is 81 and another person who has COPD. They’re also triple vaccinated and also had the antigen test to make sure they’re protected, but we’re just trying to go overboard.”
More than 1,700 tests were administered at the single site through 4 p.m.
Those who test on Friday should get results within about 24 hours, and lab teams will be working on Christmas Day until all test results are processed, a Mako Medical spokesman told WRAL News.
“We are getting the samples to the lab as quickly as possible, and we have a team that is working around the clock through Christmas,” Daniel Watkins of Mako Medical said.
The same test site will open again on Monday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We know people desperately want to see loved ones over the holidays but we also know they want to do so safely,” said MAKO chief operating officer Josh Arant in a statement.
All COVID-19 tests are free, with no requirement that those seeking a test show ID, proof of insurance or citizenship. Mako is asking that those who are insured show proof of insurance, but Arant said the test won’t count towards deductibles or require a co-pay.
Registration is required, but can be managed online while in the testing line.
Testing sites abound across Wake County
Test sites sponsored by the Wake County Health Department set a record on Thursday, administering 12,322 COVID-19 tests. The day before, they administered 7,987 tests.
Those sites will re-open after the Christmas holiday on Monday, Dec. 27. The county offers COVID-19 testing by appointment at five sites:
- Wake County Southern Regional Center, 130 N. Judd Parkway NE, Fuquay-Varina
- Wake County Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
- Wake County Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon
- Vision Church RDU Parking Lot, 5808 Departure Drive, Raleigh
- Wake County Health & Human Services Center Parking Lot, 2845 Kidd Road, Raleigh
Other locations, operated by the state also offer tests by appointment. Hours and registration requirements vary, so those seeking a test may have to try multiple sites before finding an available slot. Options are:
- Boys and Girls Club, 721 N. Raleigh Blvd., Raleigh, NC
- Care Tax Service, 909 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610
- Justice Served, 202 N. Tarboro St., Raleigh, NC 27610
- McDonald’s (adjacent parking lot), 830 E. Williams St., Apex, NC 27502
- 3804 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27610
- 8380 Six Forks Road, Ste 201, Raleigh, NC 27615
- 590 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC 27511
- 11200 Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC 27589
