BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) announced on Tuesday that COVID-19 testing capacity is being expanded.
To accommodate more tests, evening hours are being expanded and weekend appointments, along with additional testing sites, are being introduced. The testing expansion will include additional sites in the City of Buffalo, according to the ECDOH.
Additionally, the COVID-19 Information Line hours are being extended to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Appointments are still required for free ECDOH COVID-19 testing. To set up an appointment call (716) 858-2929.
Erie County resident with COVID-19 symptoms can get a rapid ID Now COVID-19 test, which provides results in about 15 minutes. Residents who does not have COVID-19 symptoms can get a PCR COVID-19 test, with results provided in one to three business days.
The ECDOH recommends people get a test if they have COVID-19 symptoms, and if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive. A COVID-19 test is recommended five to seven days after the last contact with a positive case, regardless of vaccination status.
“Demand for COVID-19 testing is extremely high, and driven by the number of new cases and close contacts, and by people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “Our department is responding to this need by expanding our testing operations in the new year, and also with the recent distribution of nearly 80,000 at-home COVID-19 antigen tests to the general public.
“If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home and away from other people. Mask use continues to be a protective measure against infection, and the best mask for you is one that you wear properly – tight to your face with no gaps between your face and the mask edge – and consistently.”
For more information on additional testing sites in the area including those operated by the state, visit the ECDOH website.
