TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Thousands of people in Pima County are getting tested for COVID-19 ahead of the holidays.
Lisa Ritter, the owner of Rescue Me Wellness, and her team have been partnering with the city and county to host COVID-19 pop-up centers, while also continuing to test at their clinic on 5th Street.
She said her team is testing anywhere from 550 to 1,200 people per day. On Sunday, the team tested 891 people.
“The percent positivity is definitely has been higher than we've seen in the past,” explained Ritter.
Over the last few weeks of testing, Rescue Me Wellness has seen about 20% of people who were tested coming back positive for the virus.
“We think it's because of the holidays, but what we're seeing is a lot of people are being exposed to COVID. They are finding out that their co-worker family friends have just tested positive,” she said.
Ritter explained the trend her team is seeing is similar to the surge in mid-May.
She said it's always a good idea to get tested. However, she warns that just because you test negative ahead of gathering with loved ones doesn’t mean you’re safe.
“If somebody's tested too early, and they have a negative test, that doesn't mean that in a few days later, they're not going to test positive. We are trying to let people know that there still is that window period from exposure to testing positive,” Ritter explained.
You can find testing locations in Pima County here.
