Coronavirus Latest: 2 More Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Sites Open In Maryland
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Two additional Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) locations converted Tuesday to drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites.
New locations in Columbia in Howard County, and White Oak in Montgomery County, join three others that opened last week.
"This is progress. This is a step in the right direction," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. "I'm frustrated we don't have enough testing from the federal government, how there are people who are displaying those symptoms whose health care professional would recommend them for testing, but we have insufficient testing."
Tests are only conducted if a person has an order from a health care provider and an appointment.
Howard County had 30 appointments Tuesday, with the capacity to test up to 68 people in one day, according to Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman.
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
- What We Know About Coronavirus In Maryland
- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
- Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
"We know testing is limited. We've been hearing that, and it remains limited. We do not have the capacity we would like," Dr. Rossman said. "As a health care provider of more than 30 years, I'm not used to not having the tools that I need from a public health perspective, or as when I practiced."
Chris Dimattei tested Tuesday at the Columbia VEIP location. He said his doctor was hesitant at first to order a test. Last week, he started having chest pains and severe fatigue.
"I essentially made the decision myself and said, 'I want to get tested. I need to get tested,'" Dimattei said, describing how he did not come in contact with any known COVID-19 positive patient. "It would have had to have come from a grocery store, a Walmart, a Home Depot, something like that."
Baltimore City's drive-thru testing site at Pimlico Race Course is ready to launch, according to Mayor Jack Young, but the city is still waiting on test kits.
People are in and out of the testing bays in seven minutes, Dr. Rossman said, but it can take up to seven days for health care providers to get those results from the private labs.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
