Burke County Health Department suspending COVID-19 testing over holidays

MORGANTON, N.C. — The Burke County Health Department said it will not be doing COVID-19 testing over the holidays.

The decision was announced at a time when Burke County officials are reporting their highest hospitalizations and positive test rates since the pandemic began. They are averaging more than three dozen COVID-19 tests daily outside the Burke County Health Department.

There will be no tests conducted at that location between Dec. 22 and Jan. 4 because the lab it uses won’t be open several days over the Christmas break to process the tests.

Morganton- the Burke County Health Dept. says it won’t be doing covid-19 testing from Dec 22-Jan 4th. They made the decision after learning that the lab that processes the test will be closed for several days too. Hear from the mayor and others about the decision tonight at 6pm pic.twitter.com/zy9TDH8PzX
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) December 15, 2020

“There’s not a lab that we use that we are able to send it to for them to receive the samples and process the samples and be able to get that information back to us,” said Lisa Moore with the health department. “By the time the labs reopen, the samples will be not viable.”

Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson said tests are needed now more than ever. More than 1,000 people have COVID-19 in the county.

Thompson himself was hospitalized over the summer with COVID-19, and the number of hospitalizations in Burke County is at an all-time high.

“The testing is critical because we have over 5,000 people who tested positive just in Burke County,” Thompson said. “I understand the labs are going to be closed and the health department can’t get it done, but that makes the other issue of wearing masks and social distancing even more critical.”

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Health department officials said there are more than 20 locations in Burke County where tests can be conducted, including doctor’s offices and CVS Pharmacy stores.

The health department is telling residents to call ahead if you need a test. Some of the other locations may also modify their schedules as Christmas gets closer.