Wake’s drive-thru COVID testing ends. Here are other options for free tests
Wake County is discontinuing free drive-through COVID-19 testing on Friday, July 29, but there are other ways to get tested without charge.
You can:
Pick up free at-home antigen tests at one of six locations in Wake County.
Order free tests through the US Postal Service.
Make an appointment at other Wake County Public Health testing sites, which are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Visit another free drive-through site in Wake County (as the discontinuation applies only to county-run sites).
We have more details below on these options.
Since June 2020, Wake County Public Health has administered over 1.6 million free PCR tests, spokesperson Leah Holdren said.
“Before there was a vaccine, there was just testing, and it was a lifesaving tool for keeping people who were sick or exposed to the virus from spreading it to their loved ones and our vulnerable populations,” Holdren said.
“We had staff working through the heat of summer, thunderstorms and bitter cold of winter for the past two years to provide this outdoor, fast, reliable, convenient, no-cost service — you didn’t even need to get out of your car and results were coming back in many cases in less than seven hours — that helped families make timely and critical health care decisions to protect themselves and their families.”
The county announced in early June that it would start scaling back its free tests throughout the summer before ultimately ending the program, The N&O reported at the time.
Where to get free at-home test kits in Wake County
“Wake County Public Health is offering no-cost, at-home antigen tests to the public. Stop by during regular business hours and pick up a maximum of four (4) boxes per household with five (5) test kits in each,” Wake County’s website says.
Find the tests at self-service tables at the following locations:
Wake County Southern Regional Center: 130 N. Judd Parkway NE in Fuquay-Varina, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Wake County Northern Regional Center: 350 E. Holding Ave. in Wake Forest, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Wake County Eastern Regional Center: 1002 Dogwood Dr. in Zebulon, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Wake County Health & Human Services Center at Departure: 5809 Departure Dr. in Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wake County Health & Human Services Swinburne Building: 220 Swinburne St. in Raleigh, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Wake County Public Health Center: 10 Sunnybrook Rd. in Raleigh, 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
For more information, visit wakegov.com/testing.
Order free at-home COVID testing kits online
You can also request free, at-home testing kits online through state and federal programs.
State: ondemand.labcorp.com/nc. NC DHHS and LabCorp allow you to order at-home testing kits, shipped to you at no cost through FedEx Priority Overnight shipping. Note: If you don’t have insurance (or your insurance doesn’t cover it), you are responsible for the cost of the test, which is at least $119 and billed upon return of the test.
Federal: covid.gov/tests. Homes across the United States are now able to order a third round of free at-home, rapid antigen tests.
Wake County Public Health testing site locations
Appointments are required at these testing sites, which are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays:
Wake County Southern Regional Center: 130 N. Judd Parkway NE in Fuquay-Varina
Wake County Northern Regional Center: 350 E. Holding Ave. in Wake Forest
Wake County Eastern Regional Center: 1002 Dogwood Dr. in Zebulon
Wake County Health & Human Services Center Parking Lot: 2845 Kidd Rd. in Raleigh
For more information, visit wakegov.com/testing.
Free drive-through COVID testing sites in Wake County
“Testing is available throughout Wake County at doctors’ offices, clinics and pharmacies. Drive-thru testing is still currently available through state-run sites by Mako Medical,” Holdren said. “The Radeas Labs location in Wake Forest is also operating six days a week. All locations and hours can be found on our COVID-19 testing page.”
Here’s where you can find free drive-through testing:
Radeas Laboratories: 907 Gateway Commons Circle in Wake Forest, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. No appointments or pre-registration.
PNC Arena Gate E: 1400 Edwards Mill Rd. in Raleigh, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This testing site closes at noon on game and event days. Pre-registration is requested.
WakeMed Soccer Park (Sahlen’s Stadium): 101 Soccer Park Dr. in Cary, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-registration is requested.
Word of God Assembly Church: 3000 Rock Quarry Rd. in Raleigh, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-registration is requested.
Highland Baptist Church: 8524 Crowder Rd. in Garner/Raleigh, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-registration is requested.
Apex Community Park: 2200 Laura Duncan Rd. in Apex, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-registration is requested.
Springfield Baptist Church: 4309 Auburn Knightdale Rd. in Raleigh, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pre-registration is requested.
NeighborHealth Center: 4201 Lake Boone Trail in Raleigh, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule, call 984-222-8000, option 2.
For more information, visit wakegov.com/testing.
Why is Wake County discontinuing drive-thru testing?
“Federal funding ended June 30, and the cost to Wake County to use its own funds to continue testing through the end of July was $2 million,” Holdren said. Wake spent over $131 million since the start of the testing program.
There are a few other reasons why Wake County decided to discontinue this testing service, Holdren said:
Demand has steadily declined.
There are effective treatment options and vaccines available.
Wake County residents have many other options for tests. This includes free, at-home test kits from a few sources and other PCR walk-in or drive-thru sites across the county.
COVID cases, hospitalizations increasing in NC
The end to free drive-through testing comes as new cases and hospitalizations reach their highest levels in North Carolina since the winter.
▪ This week, over 32,000 total cases were reported (up from nearly 29,000 cases the week before), according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data.
▪ In February, there were nearly 38,000 total cases reported, and the number of cases dropped significantly week-to-week after that. Total cases began rising to the 20,000’s again in the middle of May.
▪ The seven-day average of hospitalizations is over 1,100 this week (up from 1,039 the week before), according to NCDHHS data. This figure hasn’t been this high since early March.
▪ The data was released Wednesday, about four months after health officials started adjusting information on their dashboard, The N&O previously reported. This data used to be published nearly every day.
Masks are once again recommended in NC
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised North Carolinians to wear masks indoors in half of NC’s counties, The N&O previously reported.
The CDC recommends those in high-risk counties wear well-fitting masks indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status. In the Triangle, high-risk counties include Durham, Orange, Chatham and Harnett.
Wake, Franklin and Johnston counties are still at medium risk, as of July 28.
Can you use at-home test kits after they expire?
The FDA “does not recommend using at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests beyond their authorized expiration dates.”
▪ The tests and the parts they are made of may degrade over time, the FDA says. Using expired tests “could give inaccurate or invalid test results,” The N&O previously reported.
▪ The expiration date can be found listed on the packaging, such as the box the test comes in. On an iHealth brand test, for example, the expiration (which is listed as the use-by date) is on the back of the box.
▪ The expiration date should list the month, date and year that the test is set to expire.
▪ It’s possible for expiration dates to get extended. The FDA may do this as more data is collected on the stability and shelf-life of each kind of test. Check if your test kit’s expiration date has been extended by visiting fda.gov/medical-devices.
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