MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There's good news and bad news in Shelby County’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. The good news? Health experts said the county is now at its goal of daily tests available at dozens of sites. The bad news? The community isn't taking advantage of that daily supply, surpassing that goal only once - and falling well short nearly every other day.
"It was real important for us to have a little peace of mind," Tawni Bell of Memphis said.
That's why Bell and her son got tested for COVID-19 Monday morning at a former Walgreens at Summer Avenue and Highland Street. Neither had symptoms but did it out of precaution, since Bell's son will soon report for the Coast Guard.
"I've have had friends who have come down with it and we just wanted to make sure that we weren't part of the problem," Bell said.
24 hours after getting tested, good news arrived for Mother and son via email.
"I was happy to post it on social networks so other people may be inspired to get the test done," Bell said.
But Shelby County health experts said not enough people are taking advantage of available and free COVID-19 testing, especially those showing mild symptoms, or essential frontline workers.
"We are at that capacity, it's just not being utilized," Shelby County Health Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter said.
Shelby County is now at their goal of 2,400 tests available each day, a number reached only one time - May 18th during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent weeks, the daily average of tests taken fell short of that, between 1,412 and 1,632.
"We are seeing about a 50% testing capacity rate," Christ Community Health Services CEO Shantelle Leatherwood said.
Christ Community Services offers COVID-19 tests at six Shelby County locations. In an attempt to get more people tested, her team recently ramped up messaging and awareness.
"We are reaching out to churches, pastors, community agencies about the need to be tested, the times that the testing is available," Leatherwood said.
Shelby County health experts are hopeful once 141 new health department positions - including contact tracers and lab technicians - are hired next month, more free testing can be offered for those even who aren't showing symptoms.
