MAKO Medical Laboratories opened a new COVID-19 testing site at Carowinds Monday in response to the growing demand for tests during the omicron surge that's impacting the Carolinas.
“We’re trying to alleviate some of the stress on hospitals and primary care providers so we’re happy to be out here," Eric Kristensen with MAKO Medical said.
The Carowinds testing site opened at noon Monday. MAKO recently opened testing sites in Cary and Garner to meet increased demand in the Raleigh area. Tests are free but patients are encouraged to bring their insurance cards. Most tests results are delivered within 24-48 hours.
“The biggest thing for us is finding the space," Kristensen said. "Somewhere that can accommodate 3000 to 5000 people a day. Carowinds said hey, we’re open let's help."
No appointment is needed but preregistering will get people through in just a few minutes.
“The recent surge in the Omicron variant has prompted a significant spike in demand for COVID-19 testing in North Carolina, so our MAKO Medical team has worked expeditiously to scale up and launch new sites that can handle large quantities of tests,” said Josh Arant, Chief Operating Officer, MAKO Medical. “As a North Carolina-based company, we care about keeping our state safe and will continue working around the clock to provide rapid, reliable test results.”
In a press release, MAKO said it has been testing as many as 4,000 people per day at its testing site at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
Providers in Mecklenburg County have struggled to meet the unprecedented demand for testing. StarMed Healthcare will open another new site on Wednesday at the ZMax Dragway in Concord.
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