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Megan Broome/The Clayton Tribune. Nurse Carmen Rodgers administers a COVID-19 test on Ray Pagano at the drive-thru clinic at the Rabun County Health Department on Tuesday. -
Megan Broome/The Clayton Tribune. Nurse Dulene Jones administers COVID tests at the drive-thru clinic at the Rabun County Health Department on Tuesday.
CLAYTON--The Rabun County Health Department is offering no cost COVID-19 testing by appointment only.
Testing is Monday-Friday from 8-9 a.m. and both the rapid test and PCR (nasal swab) test that is sent to a laboratory are available, according to Dave Palmer, public relations officer for District 2 Public Health.
The rapid test is only available for people with symptoms, Palmer noted. The PCR test is available for everyone else.
“The rapid test takes approximately 15-20 minutes for results and is completed on-site,” Palmer said. “The PCR Test (nasal swab) is sent to a laboratory for testing and takes 3-7 days for results.”
Palmer said that there is currently no set date to stop testing.
The Rabun County facility has a white tent set up in the health department parking lot to administer COVID testing.
“We are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Public Health,” Palmer said.
Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment for a test can contact their local health department or call 1-888-426-5073.
“If you have symptoms and get the rapid test and receive a negative result, it is recommended that a PCR test (nasal swab) be conducted. The nasal swab is the more accurate test,” Palmer said about important information for people to know about testing.
Contact the Rabun County Health Department at 706-212-0289 with any questions. It’s located at 184 South Main Street, Clayton. Visit the District 2 Public Health website at http://phdistrict2.org/?page_id=618 for information on hours of operation.
Palmer said that testing is available at all 13 county health departments in our district by appointment only.
These include: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White.
Drive-thru testing is also offered in Hall and Franklin Counties by appointment, Palmer said.
“The one exception is Franklin County who offers drive-thru testing on Tuesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon by appointment only,” Palmer said.
Only the PCR test is offered at the Hall and Franklin County drive-thru clinics.
Testing on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in Franklin County is 8-9 a.m. by appointment only.
COVID-19 Vaccine
District 2 Public Health received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine and began vaccinating emergency personnel on Monday, according to a statement from District 2 Public Health.
They received 975 doses of Pfizer Vaccine, according to the statement.
“Health care providers like hospitals, clinics and pharmacies enrolled with the DPH Covid Vaccine Provider Program will receive the vaccine,” Palmer said. “This vaccine is to be administered per the CDC guidelines. The first group to be vaccinated will be healthcare workers. Health care providers that did not enroll in the Provider Program can contact public health to schedule vaccination for their healthcare workers.”