Chapel Hill, NC – Effective immediately, UNC Health hospitals, including Chatham Health Care in Siler City, will no longer administer COVID tests to the general public who are not experiencing symptoms in their emergency departments (EDs). With the impact of the Omicron variant, emergency departments at hospitals across the nation have been overwhelmed with patients, and UNC Health is no exception to the current surge of COVID cases.
UNC Health is following guidance which the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) provided this week. This policy applies to the following UNC Health entities and serves as guidance for other UNC Health entities:
UNC Medical Center
(Chapel Hill & Hillsborough)UNC Rex Healthcare
(Raleigh & Holly Springs)Caldwell UNC Health Care (Lenoir)Chatham Health Care (Siler City)UNC Rockingham Health Care (Eden)Johnston UNC Health Care
(Smithfield & Clayton)
Approaching winter weather makes it even more important that UNC Hospitals use their ED resources to care for true emergencies. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and are in need of testing, UNC Hospitals recommend these COVID-19 testing options:
Schedule your test using MY UNC Chart and selecting “Schedule an Appointment.”Visit the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) website to find a free testing site near you.Request a free at-home test kit from LabCorp.
As always, if you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Department.
You also can check the UNC Health COVID resource page here regularly for updates.