COLUMBIA, S.C. — Starting Thursday COVID-19 testing will no longer be available in downtown Columbia at the Bull Street testing site. Instead, testing will be available at a new, larger site at Columbia Place Mall on Two Notch Road.
This move comes as DHEC announced 12,000 new cases and 45 new deaths on Wednesday. The positivity rate stands at 28.8%.
DHEC said the demand for testing is ongoing. Long lines at COVID testing sites has created a backlog of test results, with some having to wait more than 72 hours for their results.
DHEC health director Doctor Brannon Traxler said with this new testing site, people can expect to get their test results quicker.
“We do hope as we continue to work with, as I said, with our lab partners and our in our vendors, we do hope and expect to see hear in the coming days the turnaround time, meaning how long it takes from when you get the swab done to getting results back to return much more closely to that that standard in 48 to 72 hours,” said Traxler.
Columbia resident Sheila Smith said she's excited about testing to begin at Columbia Place Mall.
“You have people who don’t have transportation. So it’s on the bus route, so it’s good for people who can catch the bus to get their testing done,” said Smith.
This new location will have several lanes for testing and vaccinations. Saliva tests with prepaid shipping labels will also be available for pick up starting Thursday.
Dr. Traxler explained if you haven't received your test results on time, you should still isolate until you no longer have symptoms.
“Regardless of whether you've gotten your results back or not, at that point, really the clock and the number in the counting of days is more focused for people with symptoms on when their symptoms began, not when they get their test results back,” said Traxler.
The Columbia Place Mall testing site will be open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Vaccinations will continue at the Bull Street site.
DHEC has also ordered 500,000 rapid antigen tests to distribute to communities. 100,000 of those tests have already been delivered in South Carolina. The rest will arrive in a couple of weeks.
According to DHEC, one million rapid antigen tests that need to be performed by health care workers are also on the way.