Demand for COVID-19 testing ramps up as Christmas approaches
PHILADELPHIA - It’s deja vu all over again in Delaware County as long testing lines for COVID-19 are once again popping up.
Cars lined up at the Springfield Shopping mall weren’t for holiday sales, they were packed with family members trying to get tested before holiday travel. Families like Crystal Miller and her kids.
"We had someone at home come back positive, so I need these two tested to make sure they’re good," Miller said. "I think we’re just going to like separate from in the house and quarantine and just try to make the best of the holidays as we can."
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Delaware County Medical Advisor Dr. Lisa O’Mahony believes that the holiday season will put a strain on the country's vaccine allotment and COVID testing resources.
"I think that we are really going to be reaching a peak in demand for both vaccinations and testing. Specifically testing as people get together with their friends and family," Dr. O’Mahony said.
She stressed that getting vaccinated is the best way to weather the storm of new infections, which have steadily risen from week-to-week. In the last week alone, newly reported cases have jumped from 973 to 1,063.
As COVID-19 infections continue to climb, so too has the demand for tests as some local families ditch their holiday plans a week away from Christmas.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 60 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Delaware County. Of those patients, the state's COVID-19 dashboard says 9 adults are in the Intensive Care Unit and 4 people are on ventilators.
Delaware County does not have rapid testing through the county, but residents can go to the Springfield Mall or obtain a PCR rapid test at the Delaware County Wellness center in Yeadon.
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