RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Department of Health is expanding COVID-19 testing across the Commonwealth after seeing a rise in demand.
VDH is coordinating with local health districts and vendors to hold an additional 170 testing events across Virginia in September.
Officials said the delta variant is largely behind the increased desire for testing. Medical professionals said that they are happy to hear that more people want to get tested and they're ready to do what they need to meet the demand.
Health officials said the following people should consider getting tested for COVID-19:
- Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms regardless of vaccination status
- Anyone who may have come into contact with someone who has tested positive
- Those who are traveling or have returned from traveling
- Those who have attended large events, especially indoors
Additional testing events could be added based on need and as a way to reduce stress on healthcare providers as they see a surge in people needing care.
"So we're just trying to make sure we can increase the access points, wherever we, you know, have a tough point from public health. Our partners in health care have been testing folks all along and they're doing a great job, but they're quite busy dealing with a lot of sick people right now. So we want to make sure we can relieve some of that burden if we can," Dr. Lauria Forlano, a deputy director with the VDH Office of Epidemiology, said.
VDH said the most effective course of action against COVID-19 is vaccination, even though testing remains part of a layered approach to prevent the spread of the virus.
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