Whether coming back from Christmas celebrations or looking forward to New Year’s Eve, the holidays have some people looking to get tested for COVID-19. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Vermont Agency of Transportation sites all throughout the state will be distributing take-home COVID-19 antigen tests starting at 8 a.m. on a first come first serve basis. The health department hopes to distribute more tests throughout the week. “I’m not so concerned about myself. I’m young and healthy, but I would feel terrible if I got someone sick,” says one person at the BCA COVID-19 testing site in Burlington. “I work with a lot of people who have families and I want to make sure that, you know, if I was exposed that I wouldn’t be exposing them,” says another. Some people also say they’re keeping plans low-key for New Year’s Eve with omicron variant cases on the rise. For those who are planning on getting together in larger groups this coming weekend, there are options to grab a free take-home antigen test on Tuesday and Wednesday. The link to locations can be found here:Where to Get Tested | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov)Dr. Lahey, an infectious disease physician with UVM Medical Center says the timing of taking those tests is key.“If you wanted to know if you could go to that New Year’s Eve party, a nice trick is to plan ahead and to get an antigen test. Have that test done right before you’re about to go to that party. And if it’s negative, you know that for the next several hours, you’re fine,” he says. There are options on the Health Department’s website to schedule a lamp test, similar to a PCR test, on Wednesday, but they’re almost all booked up.Dr. Lahey says if you can’t get your hands on a PCR test, it’s better to take an antigen test than nothing at all.“If you get tested six days after Christmas, on New Year’s Eve, you can take a negative test to the bank in terms of knowing you’re not contagious at that moment. So, if you’re negative at 7 o’clock on new year’s eve, you should be fine until the ball drops in Times Square,” says Dr. Lahey.Free antigen tests being handed out by the state over the next two days are on a first come, first serve basis. Each car or person walking in will be allowed to take home two test kits while supplies last.The health department’s walk-in testing sites will open back up again after New Year’s Day after Thursday.
Whether coming back from Christmas celebrations or looking forward to New Year’s Eve, the holidays have some people looking to get tested for COVID-19.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Vermont Agency of Transportation sites all throughout the state will be distributing take-home COVID-19 antigen tests starting at 8 a.m. on a first come first serve basis. The health department hopes to distribute more tests throughout the week.
“I’m not so concerned about myself. I’m young and healthy, but I would feel terrible if I got someone sick,” says one person at the BCA COVID-19 testing site in Burlington.
“I work with a lot of people who have families and I want to make sure that, you know, if I was exposed that I wouldn’t be exposing them,” says another.
Some people also say they’re keeping plans low-key for New Year’s Eve with omicron variant cases on the rise.
For those who are planning on getting together in larger groups this coming weekend, there are options to grab a free take-home antigen test on Tuesday and Wednesday. The link to locations can be found here:
Where to Get Tested | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov)
Dr. Lahey, an infectious disease physician with UVM Medical Center says the timing of taking those tests is key.
“If you wanted to know if you could go to that New Year’s Eve party, a nice trick is to plan ahead and to get an antigen test. Have that test done right before you’re about to go to that party. And if it’s negative, you know that for the next several hours, you’re fine,” he says.
There are options on the Health Department’s website to schedule a lamp test, similar to a PCR test, on Wednesday, but they’re almost all booked up.
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Dr. Lahey says if you can’t get your hands on a PCR test, it’s better to take an antigen test than nothing at all.
“If you get tested six days after Christmas, on New Year’s Eve, you can take a negative test to the bank in terms of knowing you’re not contagious at that moment. So, if you’re negative at 7 o’clock on new year’s eve, you should be fine until the ball drops in Times Square,” says Dr. Lahey.
Free antigen tests being handed out by the state over the next two days are on a first come, first serve basis.
Each car or person walking in will be allowed to take home two test kits while supplies last.
The health department’s walk-in testing sites will open back up again after New Year’s Day after Thursday.
