150 tested at Athens drive-thru coronavirus testing site

150 tested at Athens drive-thru coronavirus testing site

Answer your questions.

Drive-thru testing is back in limestone county.

It's happening today and tomorrow - this week and next at the athens sportsplex on highway 31.

The clinic is a partnership between athens- limestone hospital, the emergency management agency, and the city and county governments.

Waay 31's max cohan was there today - where he learnedmore about the hospitals current testing capacity.

"today nearly 150 took part in the drive-thru testing at the athens sportsplex and the athens-limestone hospital tells me it has the capacity to more than double that number."

Rachael bailey - lpn, athens- limestone hospital "we have 400 tests to use per day."

Athens-limestone hospital nurse rachael bailey was among those swabbing drivers in athens wednesday.

The new testing only process is much quicker than the previous one.

People used to have to see a doctor on site -- which could take up to 15 minutes.

Now - nurses can handle the whole process.

"depending on the amount of people in the car, it's taking less than a minute to get them swabbed and out."

Once swabbed, the hospital says people can expect to have results back from birmingham's assurance scientific laboratories in 48 to 72 hours.

"the lab that we're using ... has promised us that they'll have the results to us through the portal, so that the hospital staff has quick access to it and then they'll notify the patient."

Bailey says people have been grateful for the opportunity to get tested so quickly and hopes to test as many people as possible on thursday."

"we hope to see a little more, and we are here until 12 or until we run out of the test, but we have more than enough."

"reporting in athens, max cohan, waay 31 news."

Testing will resume at the athens sportsplex tomorrow from 8 am to noon.

If you don't have insurance - it costs $100 to be tested there.

We reached out to assurance scientific laboratories - but haven't heard back.