The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced fifty-five upcoming community COVID-19 testing events scheduled in eleven counties across the state on Monday.
The no-cost sites will be in Cabarrus, Chatham, Clay, Gaston, Jackson, Montgomery, Robeson, Rowan, Scotland, Wake and Wayne counties as part of the initiative to increase testing in communities with limited access.
According to the NCDHHS, "A disproportionately high percentage of North Carolina’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred among historically marginalized populations, and mounting evidence shows the members of these populations experience higher rates of COVID-19 mortality and serious complications." The agency urges people who may not currently have symptoms but may have been exposed to COVID-19 to get tested, especially people from historically marginalized communities, including Latinx/Hispanic, Black/African American, and American Indian populations.
In addition, testing is a priority for anyone who has symptoms or those who may have been exposed to COVID-19. As of Tuesday morning (8/25), North Carolina surpassed 157,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus with an additional 1,283 cases reported Monday. A total of 2,560 deaths across the state from the virus.
North Carolinians can find testing sites available in their community or a schedule of events by visiting covid19.ncdhhs.gov.