• By Todd Luck
• Posted Monday, March 20, 2023

COVID testing kiosk now available 24/7 at Forsyth County Public Health

A kiosk providing free COVID-19 testing is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in front of the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, 799 N. Highland Ave.

The testandgo kiosk provides collection kits with instructions for collecting specimens, which are deposited into the machine. The vendor picks the specimens up and delivers them to a lab where they’re tested, with patients getting results via text or email in 24-48 hours or less. There are also plans to add at-home COVID-19 antigen tests into the machine in coming weeks.

"The goal of this kiosk is to increase access to Covid testing for our community,” said Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift.

The vending machine allows users to enter their information using a touchscreen on the machine or using their smartphone by scanning in a QR code on the machine. The vendor will be resupplying the test kits in the kiosk, so it won’t require Public Health staff to maintain it.

“We know from initial data that not all populations received fair and equal access to care during the earlier stages of the pandemic, with parts of North Carolina being hit particularly hard,” said Dr. Wilmot, MD, Chief Medical Officer for LTS, the parent company for testandgo. “Testandgo kiosks help overcome barriers by offering safe and reliable tests regardless of one’s insurance status or current level of engagement within the local healthcare system.”

At-home test kits continue to be available locally at the health department, county libraries and the Forsyth County Government Center.