Free Testing Kits Distributed Around Baltimore County
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With many battling COVID-19 in and around Baltimore County, officials are scrambling to provide free at-home COVID-19 testing kits to residents.
Cars lined Maryland's Timonium Fairgrounds on Friday as residents waited to receive testing kits provided by the county.
"It's been a challenge throughout the country, we've seen that true for the holidays until now, but we have been thankful that we can get in front using our leverage, our State of Emergency, to procure a large amount of tests that we're happy to get in the hands of residents," said Sean Naron, Baltimore County's deputy communications director.
With 25 locations and more being added next week, the county said it would distribute 100,000 kits while supplies lasted.
"There's so many people with this virus and you don't know if you have, you could be asymptotic, so you want to make sure to know if you do have it."
Shelley Zipper of Baltimore County said with so many people infected its hard to identify those infected because they could just be asymptomatic, she said.
In addition to the 25 locations providing free testing kits around the area, larger scale locations will open such as the former Sears location and area hospitals
"It's really difficult to get appointments and also I don't necessarily want to go to a place where other people might be infected. So, doing a home test seemed a lot safer," said Baltimore County's Peju Ganiyu.
Before noon on Friday, the Baltimore County Twitter page announced it the Timonium Fairgrounds location had "completed its distribution of COVID-19 testing kits for the remainder of the day."
Over the next two weeks, Baltimore County will be giving out 100,000 COVID testing kits, in addition to the tests the County has provided the school systems.
The county is hosting a series of test kit distribution events over the next week. Find the full list of those events here.