Dougherty County Commission approves purchase of home COVID testing kits

ALBANY — The purchase of home coronavirus test kits could relieve pressure on health care providers and help Dougherty County residents and employees stay safe as the presence of the omicron variant is being felt.

The Dougherty County Commission agreed unanimously on Monday to spend $135,000 for 10,000 COVID test kits. Each kit contains two tests, and the money to buy them will come from federal coronavirus relief funds received by the county.

COVID numbers had improved with the end of the surge that began in January, but the arrival of the new, more contagious variable has been noted.

“We were holding up until Dec. 27,” Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services Director Sam Allen said. “Dec. 27, we started feeling a difference. We’re seeing more potential omicron cases.

“It’s milder, but it spreads really fast. It’s just that time of the year, unfortunately.”

Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s emergency room also has seen a surge in individuals seeking testing, and the idea is to steer testing to other locations.

“The key thing is we’re trying to prevent overwhelming the hospital,” Allen said.

One possible method of distribution is through a Phoebe mobile health clinic, County Administrator Michael McCoy said. The tests that once were available in pharmacies have become nearly impossible to find in stores.

“We know omicron is spreading rapidly in the community,” McCoy said. “Quite frankly, there are people in the community who can’t afford these tests and would like to know their status for themselves and their family.

“There is a need in the community, and we would like to make these tests available and help with the high transmission rate of this new variant.”

The testing kits are scheduled to arrive on Friday, and distribution could begin as early as Friday.

One issue raised by Commissioner Russell Gray was what kind of measures could be put in place to ensure those seeking kits actually need them, as some could choose to stockpile the no-cost tests for the event of a future illness.

“One thing I can think of, you’re actually handing out resources that are not available on the shelf,” he said. “I can see long lines.”

The commission requested that the test kits be limited to county residents, as was the case for a series of incentive-based vaccine clinics at which county residents were rewarded with $100 gift cards for getting shots.

“I understand the point,” McCoy said to Gray’s questions. “In any program, there’s going to be fraud to some extent. You can’t eliminate that 100 percent.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]