NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While getting a COVID test in Nashville has seemingly involved braving a testing line that stretches multiple hours long for the past several weeks, Monday in Nashville at least one pop-up location seemed to be running quickly, with a line that lasted only minutes, not hours.
The site was Gra-Mar Middle Prep — one of Metro's one of Metro Public Health's temporary testing sites that changes locations daily. On Monday it operated from 4 to 6 p.m.
When NewsChannel 5 was there Monday evening, the testing line stretched only about two dozen cars, making for a wait of minutes, instead of the hours reported at some of the other sites around town.
"People are more attuned to testing, they want that information, they're going out and more people are being tested," said Dr. William Schaffner with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The news comes as Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced a new record high positivity rate for Davidson County; more than a third of everyone getting tested for COVID now is a confirmed case — not including at-home tests that undoubtedly push unreported case numbers higher.
"The high number of positives indicates this omicron variant is out there causing illness, mild in people who are vaccinated, but serious illness in people who are unvaccinated," Schaffner said.
Metro Public Health says its two pop-up locations for Tuesday will be:
Edmonson Chapel Church 5222 Hickory Hollow Pkwy: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Office of English Learners 615 Fessey Park Road: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Other drive-thru testing locations:
Former K-Mart 2491 Murfreesboro Pike: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
28th Ave. and Charlotte Ave; 350 28th Ave. North: 11 a.m.– 3 p.m.
