UPDATED: Sentara Healthcare reopens two drive-thru testing sites in Hampton Roads

Testing kits ran low after two days, causing the health care system to suspend operations briefly.

Published March 18, 2020 by Sydney Lake

UPDATE, March 19, 11:20 a.m.: Sentara Healthcare announced Thursday that it has received additional testing kits and has reopened its drive-thru screening and testing sites at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital and Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

The operation at Sentara Edinburgh in Chesapeake will not reopen, the health care system said in a statement.

Earlier:

Norfolk-based Sentara closed its drive-thru screening and testing for coronavirus Wednesday afternoon, after only two days in operation, due to its test supply running low. 

“We know that COVID-19 is a critical concern for our communities, so we are actively working with state and federal officials to get more testing supplies,” Sentara said in a statement.

The health care system encourages people who have symptoms of COVID-19 to contact their primary care providers of the Sentara COVID-19 Call Center before visiting one of their health care locations. 

“If it is not an emergency, we kindly ask that you remain at home,” the statement says.

Sentara is still able to test high-risk COVID-19 patients inside its hospitals but asks that people call the hospital before arriving to get instructions on how to do so. 

The health care system consists of 12 hospitals in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and employs a total of 28,000 people.