MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As a vaccine becomes available in Tennessee, the state’s Department of Health announces plans to offer self-testing kits.
It won’t change testing availability in Shelby County, but health leaders say it will be important in slowing the spread of this virus. Health leaders are working to increase testing now offering evening hours here at tiger lane.
They say even with the arrival of a vaccine it’s important to offer as much testing as possible. These self-kits from the state will be the key to making that happen in neighboring counties.
“The more testing we get to communities the better off we’ll be,” Dr. Alisa Haushalter, the Shelby County Health Dept. Director, said.
As a vaccine makes its way to Tennessee, Health leaders say we can’t let up on the other efforts to keep our community safe from COVID-19. The state’s Department of Health announcing plans to offer self-testing kits at no charge.
“We’re making this transition so our Department of Health staff can assist with administration of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” officials said in a statement.
People wanting to be tested this way will conduct the covid test from their car with the option to register and see results online.
“Having the Binex testing which is what I believe they’re sending from the state allows them to get answers relatively quickly and get people isolated relatively quickly,” Haushalter said.
Those self-kits will go to rural communities in the 89 counties that fall under state leadership.
“Now they’re taking one of the steps out of the whole COVID testing process of themselves,” Parker Harris, the Baptist-Memorial Hospital Tipton CEO, said. “They’re able to transition that to a self-swab technique to where it relieves their workforce to be able to do more important things now such as a vaccine.”
Doctors say this increased access to testing is critical in identifying those with covid exposure.
But we all still must do our part.
“We’ve got to maintain our masking. We’ve got to maintain a robust and broad reaching testing strategy to where we can isolate those who are positive,” Harris said.
The self-testing kits will be available starting next week on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They’re only available to adults.
Results should arrive within 72-hours depending on lab volume.
