File photo
File photo
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley confirmed a notice of understanding on March 26 that will legally enable MedStar, an ambulance provider, to conduct in-home COVID-19 testing for suspected cases in the county.
"Currently, Tarrant County is performing 100 to 150 COVID-19 tests per day," Whitley said. That number does not include the number of tests done by private labs.
As of April 5, Texas reported 6,812 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 127 deaths. Tarrant County has 404 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Whitley told WFAA the county didn't want to expose the MedStar staff to the virus. However, the MedStar staff are being monitored for signs of the virus as they work.
"We didn't really want to take a chance on them going out and doing it, being exposed, and then having to be quarantined," Whitley said.
Whitley says that to get an appointment for testing, residents must call ahead and set the appointment up. The operator will tell you whether you're a candidate for in-home testing or be directed to the nearest testing facility.
"Call ahead, they'll set up an appointment, tell you where to go, and that's where the test will actually be conducted," Whitley says.
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