The lines to get a free COVID test in Wake County may be a little longer today.
The county delayed opening its five testing sites until 10 a.m. Tuesday after a winter storm and freezing overnight temperature lead to icy road conditions. Appointments typically start at 7 a.m.
“Please anticipate long lines at testing sites,” officials noted in a press statement Tuesday.
Residents seeking a test amid the post-holiday Omicron surge already have had to wait in line for hours, especially at the county’s Kidd Road site, where hundreds of cars have lined adjoining roads waiting for a test. Starting Tuesday, traffic will no longer be allowed to enter the site through Kidd Road and will be directed via Sunnybrook Road with improved signage.
Omicron has been spreading rapidly statewide. On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 27 percent of COVID tests conducted over the weekend were positive, an increase of about 5 percent since last week. However, the number of new cases dropped from 19,000 to about 13,000—though it’s likely due to fewer people getting tested over the holiday weekend.
The weather delay not only affects COVID testing but also vaccinations and other county services. Vaccine clinics are expected to open at 11:45 a.m.
Appointments are required to receive a test. Click here to make an appointment.
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Follow Senior Staff Writer Leigh Tauss on Twitter or send an email to ltauss@indyweek.com.