'We Don't Want People To Travel': Doctor Alarmed By Lines At COVID Testing Sites
BOSTON (CBS) - Making an appointment for a COVID-19 test these days can be frustrating, with long lines at many testing centers.
According to the state, daily testing has jumped about 20 percent in recent weeks. The likely cause is many people hoping to spend Thanksgiving with loved ones.
On Friday, one line snaked around a city block with wait times up to three hours.
"Yesterday, we both tried to get appointments and were turned away at two separate places," said Jonathan Gaelen, who waiting to get tested at Tufts Medical Center in Boston with another person.
But the recent testing for travel is concerning to epidemiologists like Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts University. She says lines indicate there will be too much movement for Thanksgiving at a time when cases are spiking nationwide.
She warns that a test you get today is only a snapshot in time.
"Obviously, if you're not positive today, then there's a higher likelihood that you're not going to be positive tomorrow. But it really only means you're not positive today," said Dr. Doron. "We don't want people to travel right now, rates are too high in all states in the United States of America."
Still, it's hard for some people to rethink their plans.
"I do get tested every two weeks by my school, but I wanted to make sure before I go home," said Olivia Constantino.