Albany mayor encourages residents to take advantage of free COVID-19 drive-up testing

ALBANY, Ga. -Mayor of Albany, Bo Dorough, says there was confusion on who could be tested at the state’s drive-up, COVID-19 testing facility at 100 block of Mercer Avenue. 

People who were not symptomatic were unable to schedule testing at the facility the last few days. 

However, the Mayor says the issue has been cleared and he confirmed that Albany is an exception to the rule that a person must be symptomatic to be tested.

The facility is free to anyone who wants to be tested for COVID-19 seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

He urges residents to take the quick nasal test so the county can have accurate data on the COVID-19 impact in Albany.

“We have the capability to perform the testing and what we are asking you, the public, to do is take advantage of this so we can have an understanding as a community as to the prevalence of the rate of infection but also for those that test positive they can take precautions to protect themselves and others in the community,” says Mayor Dorough

Mayor Dorough says the national guard testing site has run out of tests the last few days but now that they understand the demand, they will have more testing kits in the coming days.

He says up to 70 tests a day are being performed.