NORFOLK, Va. — Military Circle Mall is now being used as a COVID-19 testing site.
“The number of cases is rising in Hampton Roads, throughout the state, and throughout the country,” explained Bob Engle, the emergency coordinator for Virginia Beach Department of Public Health.
As the virus became more widespread through the community, more testing is needed. When case counts fell earlier this year, health departments started holding fewer mass testing events, but now they are coming back.
“The numbers that we’ve seen here the first hour, exceeded what we expected to do for the whole four hours,” said Engle.
He said some of the people testing had COVID-19 symptoms. Engle said they told him they’ve had a hard time finding or getting an appointment for a COVID test in a timely manner.
“We are here for the community, those that are out and feel like they may have flu symptoms or they have been exposed to someone with COVID, we want those people to come in and be tested,” Engle said. “If they are positive and are asymptotic and don’t know it, we can take care of them and get them isolated and help reduce the spread throughout the community.”
Anyone 3 years and older can get a test. Engle said it will take a few days for people to get their results.
Engle said, “We are doing the PCR test here that we take the test today, it will go up to the state lab this evening and it takes two to three days for them to process it and we will get the result probably on Friday or Saturday.”
Health leaders will call you after they receive the results. They ask people to be patient.
Engle said the plan is to hold COVID-19 testing at Military Circle Mall every Wednesday through the fall, as long as the demand is still there.
If you’re still unvaccinated against COVID-19 and want to get a shot, the Military Circle Mall vaccination clinic will open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
People who are immunocompromised can get a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine if 28 days or more have passed since their last dose.