PHOENIX —
Governor Doug Ducey’s phased-in reopening of Arizona businesses means the state has to ensure coronavirus cases are under control. That's where his 'Testing Blitz' plan comes into play.
Starting Saturday, May 2nd, and the following two Saturdays, sites across the state will be open for COVID-19 testing for those feeling sick and those who think they might have been exposed.
"The process was pretty smooth," says one patient who went to the Banner testing site at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. "I'm a healthcare worker. None of us are symptomatic but we thought it would be good to go ahead and get tested because we have a little bit of an increased risk."
This wasn't always doable. For most of March and April, the state told labs and healthcare facilities to prioritize testing front line workers, those in group settings, and those hospitalized with severe symptoms.
A lot of people, even those with symptoms, were turned away.
We want to hear from you. Tell us your testing story here.
"I'd say about 3-4 weeks ago I was sick with a cold and I went to the hospital because urgent care wouldn't take me and they would not test," says Cydni Irving.
Irving explains she has MS and asthma and has been worried about her health since the virus started to spread. But for the blitz, she and her husband just showed up at a site near Kingman. She says they were tested within a half hour and should get results in 3-5 days.
"I could die from COVID because of my MS and lately I've had really bad issues with breathing like I'm using a breathing machine. I just wanted to be sure."
The state loosened the limits on who could get tested late April. Supply chain issues have led to shortages in test kits not just in Arizona, but across the nation. But testing capacity at labs is increasing as new tests are developed and we get more data.
The governor’s office believes the 20,000-test goal can be reached.
“We are told that they do have capacity for 20,000 (tests) per weekend,” Ducey’s communications director, Patrick Ptak, told 12 News.
Some blitz testing sites point out that they'll swab while supplies last.
Tests cost can cost anywhere from around $50-$200 and in some cases, they can be covered by insurance. For the most part, people need to pre-register for a spot in line.
But not everyone had an easy time doing that.
One woman in Maricopa County told 12 News she was turned away by one testing site and spent hours on hold trying to sign up with another. She eventually was able to sign up at the second location.
The bottom line is that data drives decisions.
“The more testing that we can do and the more testing that we make available, the more information that the governor will have in order to make these important decisions for the public,” Maricopa County’s medical director, Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, said at a Thursday news conference.
You can track testing numbers through AZDHS.
The Governor's goal is to double the testing from the steady 10,000 tests they've been recording over the past several weeks, to around 20,000 tests each weekend.
If you missed the first blitz, you'll have a chance the next two Saturdays. Click here for a list of locations and information on registration.
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