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Free COVID-19 testing event held in Charlotte

Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said doing these events on occasion instead of daily makes sure the labs aren’t overwhelmed.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Health officials say testing is one of the big ways to track and combat COVID-19, and Saturday, dozens of people stopped by the Valerie C. Woodard Center on Freedom Drive in Charlotte for free COVID-19 testing.

Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said doing these events on occasion instead of daily makes sure the labs aren’t overwhelmed, and people can get results back within two to three days.

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One thing Harris noted, though, was that not as many people showed up compared to previous free testing events. She said part of that may be due to other community partners ramping up testing, in addition to the event starting earlier in the day.

Harris also said she believes people may be opting out because they simply don’t want to hear about the coronavirus anymore.

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“What we’re terming COVID fatigue — people are tired of hearing about it," Harris said. "People are wanting to get back to normal, and I think that could potentially be impacting whether people are coming in to get tested or not.”

She went on to say there really isn't a foreseeable end to the pandemic in immediate sight, and that we will be wearing masks and social distancing for a while. She said continuing to stay the course is the quickest way to get through this.

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