Where Can I Get a Rapid Covid Test in Macomb County Michigan
The day before Thanksgiving saw a steady stream of cars moving into a drive-thru building at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights.
But it wasn't gifts or last-minute holiday meal items drivers and their passengers were seeking. It was the up-the-nose swab testing to determine whether they were positive for COVID-19 or its variants.
"We've been so busy lately," Matthew Kovalcik, the site's incident commander, who works for the Macomb County Department of Emergency Management. "It looks like we're back to normal."
Kovalcik was referring to the pandemic's early stages, when seemingly endless lines of vehicles with people waiting for procedure to be done at the Macomb County Health Department's testing site on N. Rose Street near Groesbeck Highway in Mount Clemens.
The Sterling Heights City Council last winter approved a licensing agreement to occupy and use the former Sears automotive service center at Lakeside Mall as a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination facility. It has since transitioned back into a testing facility.
The testing takes place 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the foreseeable future.
One woman waiting in line with her 7-year-old son in the back seat wanted to be sure neither was carrying the infection before having Thanksgiving dinner with her parents and siblings.
"I just need to know before everyone sits down at the table (Thursday)," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
Testing surge
Public health officials say there are many reasons for the testing surge. From kids attending school, work requirements, or negative results needed to travel into Canada, there are quite a few people utilizing the service.
Andrew Cox, director of the county's health department, said Wednesday there are a number of factors contributing to the increased COVID-19 testing volumes.
"The biggest factor is the current spike in cases across the state of Michigan, with people who are symptomatic, or individuals who have been in close contact with a positive case getting tested," Cox said in a statement. "In addition, there is also testing related to individuals who are travelling over the Thanksgiving Day weekend to see friends and relatives."
The testing comes as Michigan is tops the number of coronavirus cases in the country, with the most per capita. The state recently reported its highest seven-day average of new daily cases for the pandemic, at 8,470 a day — more than double where the average was at the end of October, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Public health officials have sounded the warning of an increase in caseloads as the cold weather sends people back indoors.
About 54.4% of Michigan's residents were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. That's 27th among the 50 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1.2 million booster doses have been administered in the state.
Now, a new coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa appears to be spreading across the globe. The World Health Organization called the variant "highly transmissible.."
Stocks sank Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly falling more than 1,000 points, as investors were uncertain whether the variant could potentially reverse months of progress at getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control.
State sees numbers rise
Michigan hospitalizations from COVID-19 are at a seven-month high. The Michigan Health and Hospital Association sounded the alarm Monday over near-record hospitalizations.
At the Lakeside testing site in Sterling Heights this past week, 20% of the COVID-19 tests were positive. That's a little higher than the 17.3% rates being reported statewide.
Kovalcik, a retired chief of the St. Clair Shores Fire Department, said when he pulls into the parking lot of Lakeside's testing facility at 7:30 a.m., there are up to 50 cars lined waiting for the site to open.
"For the past few days, we've been seeing 500 cars a day. It's been non stop," he said. "Right now, we believe it's going to stick around awhile."
Other testing sites have reported similar attendance.
Henry Yanez, a member of the Sterling Heights City Council, has noticed the surge near his home.
"I live across from an urgent care center at 16 Mile and Schoenherr," he said. "They've been lined up there, too. That's just what's going on in Michigan."
Yanez, who has received two vaccination shots along with a booster, said with families gathering in person for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, he hopes people will take steps to protect themselves with COVID protocols. He has noticed more and more people wearing face masks while shopping in recent days.
"I know there's obviously a controversy over the masks," he said. "But you can't wish (COVID) away. We've got to fight it."
Testing is done 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the former site of Sears Automotive at Lakeside Mall, 14100 Lakeside Circle, Sterling Heights. The entrance is directly across from Solari & Co. Fine Jewelers.
No appointment is necessary. The test is free, no prescription is needed and you do not need to have symptoms to be tested. Personal identification is required. As part of the testing process, people must remain in their vehicle from the time they arrive until they depart.
For more information, visit health.macombgov.org/Health-Home or call 586-463-3750.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Where Can I Get a Rapid Covid Test in Macomb County Michigan
Source: https://www.macombdaily.com/2021/11/28/macomb-county-residents-flood-covid-19-testing-site
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