Here’s what Charlotte residents should know about getting a COVID test before Christmas
Many families will gather in Charlotte or elsewhere this week to celebrate Christmas, but before festivities get underway, some might want to get tested for COVID-19 because of a nationwide surge in cases due to the emergence of the omicron variant.
More than 10,500 new COVID cases have been reported in North Carolina since Friday, state officials said.
“The omicron variant is spreading fast,” Gov. Roy Cooper said during a news conference Monday.
Rapid-result and PCR testing have been available to the public during the pandemic. Testing remains free at drugstores and at various sites, but with demand high, there could be fewer appointments available. More recently, take-home kits have appeared on store shelves. But the current surge could result in test shortages, causing people to pay a premium.
As the state braces for more COVID cases, Cooper urged residents to get a vaccination or booster shot.
“If you aren’t yet vaccinated against COVID, please make the right decision and get your first shot,” Cooper said on Twitter. “I know people might want to wait until after the holidays, but don’t.”
Here’s how Charlotte-area residents can get tests or be tested:
Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County offers free at-home COVID-19 test kits, in partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. These kits are meant to help those who face barriers to testing, such as difficulty getting to testing sites or purchasing a kit online or at a pharmacy or retail store.
Mecklenburg is experiencing a high demand for the limited amount of at-home test kits, the county tweeted on Monday.
“The number of kits is limited due to supply chain issues,” the tweet said.
CVS
PCR tests, which are considered to be more accurate, are available at multiple CVS locations in the Charlotte area, but it could take up to two days for results. That means Thursday or Wednesday might be the latest one can go and get swabbed.
An appointment for a rapid-result test could be harder to come across as a majority of CVS locations in the Charlotte area don’t many slots available before Christmas Day on Saturday.
Walgreens
Various Walgreens stores offer PCR testing, but some locations also could have just a few appointment slots available.
There are fewer Walgreens stores with rapid-result testing, but some appointments may still be available.
Walgreens, like CVS and other retailers, carries a number of at-home COVID tests, including from BinaxNOW, InteliSwab, QuickVue and Labcorp Pixel. Some of the tests are currently out of stock, according to the Walgreens website.
Amazon
Amazon has some at-home rapid COVID tests available with expedited shipping and receive before the holidays. Brands include iHealth, BD Veritor and On/Go.
Laboratories/sites
▪ Rapid Diagnostics has an office in south Charlotte that offers in-car, rapid COVID testing for $65. Each appointment should last about three minutes. A PCR test will cost $185.
The site will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
▪ StarMed is offering free COVID testing throughout the week at multiple locations in Mecklenburg County. However, as Christmas approaches, the number of available sites diminish.
A StarMed site will be open at 4001 Tuckaseegee Road on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drive-thru COVID testing, regeneron antibody therapy and urgent care services will be available.
▪ Individuals can schedule COVID test appointments through their primary care provider at Novant Health or Atrium Health. Novant also offers testing at its urgent care and walk-in clinics.
▪ Carolina Pharmacy has curbside and in-store rapid-result and PCR testing at a number of locations. A rapid-result test costs $79, and a PCR test is $190, according to the pharmacy’s website.
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 3:45 PM.
