AUSTIN, Texas - Health officials say that community testing data indicates that Austin Public Health's testing goals in Austin-Travis County for May, June, and July were surpassed.
The testing goals were set in May and the data includes APH, state partners, hospitals, public and private clinics, and private physicians.
Officials say 39,609 tests were completed in May; 50,910 tests completed in June; and 69,243 tests completed in July.
The plan set a goal of completing 10,000 tests in May; 40,000 tests in June; and 60,000 tests in July through a combined effort and the goal for the remainder of the year is 60,000 tests per month.
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Officials also say that the turnaround time for test results has dropped to two days as of August 20. APH says it is working on contracts with additional labs to diversify and maintain lower turnaround time for testing even if the number of tests performed increases.
“Our response to COVID-19 has been a community effort,” APH Director Stephanie Hayden said in a news release “Not only has it been a community effort in ensuring we slow the spread by practicing proper preventative actions, but also in expanding testing with the help of our local hospitals, clinics, and physicians. Adequate testing capacity is another factor in helping us identify those with COVID-19 and stop the viral transmission.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, APH has expanded testing operations beyond a single drive-thru site to include three neighborhood testing sites, in-home testing, and pop-up testing sites.
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Austin Public Health weekly COVID-19 news conference - 8/19/2020
Health officials provide an update on the latest data and answer questions from the media.
APH testing sites completed 7,984 tests in May; 11,315 tests in June; and 20,538 tests in July and the remainder of the tests were completed with assistance from community partners.
Through the Public Testing Enrollment Form, APH now has the capacity to test approximately 6,500 people every week, including the sites located in Williamson and Bastrop counties.
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As part of continuous collaboration to ensure that APH is testing enough individuals, the criteria individuals need to meet on the Public Testing Enrollment Form assessment can vary. This variation is due to changes in testing capacity, the number of people requesting a test, and the percent of individuals that test positive for COVID-19.
APH encourages people who have insurance to utilize other testing sites available through their provider so APH sites can be the safety net for those without insurance or a primary care provider. A map showing public and private testing locations in Austin-Travis County can be accessed here.