MAKO Medical opens 3 more COVID-19 testing sites in Meck County

CHARLOTTE — Now, it’s easier to get a COVID-19 test in Mecklenburg County. The county, in partnership with MAKO Medical Laboratories, is opened three new free testing sites on Tuesday.

MAKO Medical opened a COVID-19 testing site at Carowinds earlier in January to help with the growing demand for tests amid a surge of omicron variant cases. That site is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The recent surge in the omicron variant has prompted a significant spike in demand for COVID-19 testing in North Carolina, so our MAKO Medical team has worked expeditiously to scale up and launch new sites that can handle large quantities of tests,” said Josh Arant, chief operating officer of MAKO Medical. “As a North Carolina-based company, we care about keeping our state safe and will continue working around the clock to provide rapid, reliable test results.”

People don’t need an appointment, but if you preregister online, you can go through a designated express lane. Officials said that should get people in and out in about three minutes.

On Monday, MAKO announced three more locations.

• Parking lot across the street from the Park Expo Center: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday - Friday
• First Baptist Church of Cornelius: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
• R.C. Bradford Park: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday - Friday

Mecklenburg County asked the Raleigh company for help with more testing, and that’s when they decided to use the space at Carowinds to accommodate all the cars.

MAKO Medical said the sites will be open as long as there is a demand.

“There’s a need for it, to alleviate the stress on hospitals and primary care providers. The main thing is just to get this under control,” a resident said.

Other major MAKO Medical COVID-19 testing sites that have recently opened include PNC Arena in Raleigh, Word of God in Raleigh, Five County Stadium in Zebulon, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary and Piedmont Hall in Greensboro. At PNC Arena, MAKO Medical has been testing as many as 3,000-4,000 people per day.

The tests are free, but bringing an insurance card is encouraged. The turnaround time for results is approximately 24 to 48 hours.

(WATCH BELOW: MAKO Medical prepares to test more than 3,000 people daily at new Carowinds COVID-19 testing site)

MAKO Medical prepares to test more than 3,000 people daily at new Carowinds COVID-19 testing site

©2022 Cox Media Group