Even with Biden's mandate, no shortage of coronavirus tests

The ongoing surge in cases fueled by the virus' Delta variant has led to renewed interest in getting tested for the virus among the public.

At Wake County's Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest, for example, more than 12,000 people were tested in the last week, county spokeswoman Stacy Beard said.

“We definitely have seen it continue to rise," Beard said Friday. "The demand increased, and the demand led us to expand our hours.”

The county's test sites performed 240,00 tests combined in August, more than double the 112,000 done in July.

Even with Biden's mandate, Beard said, people don't have to worry about tests not being available. The county is already ordering more tests to keep up with the high demand.

“I would challenge anybody to find a program in the United States that is offering as convenient [and] as quick turnaround in testing as Wake County Public Health,” she said.

Wake County has five test sites open 12 hours a day, six days a week, and results are usually available within 12 to 24 hours. Statewide, the turnaround time for test results has increased from about one day to close to two days.

Adam Price, director of logistics for Raleigh-based Mako Medical, also said there's no shortage of virus tests. The company already tests about 50,000 people a day across 43 states, and he said he expects to deploy more rapid teams for on-site testing under Biden's mandate.

“Instead of having to pull the labor force off to get them tested, we can actually deploy to you and test what works for you as an employer," Price said. “Typically, a two-man team can test close to 100 people within an hour."

Mako's tests cost about $100 each, but Price said the company has bulk pricing for private employers. Moving forward, he said, the company is working to find out if the cost of tests associated with the mandate will be covered by the federal government.