HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds across the Tampa Bay area are frustrated with the long wait times to take a coronavirus test, and the long wait to get the results back.
County leaders say the good news is this means more people are signing up to take the test. That will help them track the spread of the virus a lot easier. But, they are also concerned about the long wait.
If you want to take a test at the county’s site, you can go online to make an appointment. The date is two weeks out for most people.
However, don’t forget the long lines at the site when you go to take the test.
“This has been a mammoth task for the department of health and the county staff,” said Commissioner Kimberly Overman.
During Monday’s Emergency Policy Group meeting, Emergency Management Director Timothy Dudley Jr. said the county tested more than 8,500 people last week, and more than 10,200 people have appointments this week.
County leaders say they’re able to take more appointments thanks to help from the state and are looking for a way to shorten the wait time.
One of the solutions might be opening another testing site. However, the major issue is finding enough qualified health professionals to administer the test.
For those of you who are sick and believe you have COVID-19, do not wait. Doctors say you should go to the hospital or urgent care and get checked out.
