Loudoun Coronavirus Testing Site Closes Early Due To Huge Turnout

LEESBURG, VA — Loudoun officials had to close their coronavirus testing site in Leesburg more than three hours early because of the huge number of people wanting to get tested during the one-day event. The testing site at Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park reached capacity before 2:30 p.m. Officials had hoped to keep the testing site open until 6 p.m.

By about 1:15 p.m., 853 coronavirus tests had been administered. By the time testing is complete, county officials said they expect more than 1,700 people will have received tests.

While no other testing dates are scheduled at this time, additional coronavirus testing events that are facilitated by the Virginia Department of Health are planned in Northern Virginia, the county said. In addition, Loudoun County said it is working with community partners to make more coronavirus testing available to the community.

The strong turnout for the free testing event indicates residents are still facing extreme difficulty in getting tested for the coronavirus. Even for residents with health insurance and who are symptomatic or have come into contact with a COVID-19 positive person, they have to jump through many hoops, including making appointments with their primary care physician to get a referral and then hoping a testing center will accept that referral.

Patch readers expressed frustration with the lack of signage at the testing site. "Those responsible could have taken the time to post signs [and] arranged to have police officers direct traffic," one reader said. "This reflects one more instance of the extremely shoddy and substandard management and organization that has stymied the entire Covid-19 response in the USA."

Another Patch reader waited in line for almost two hours without making any progress in moving forward in the line. The reader also said police officers were getting visibly upset, with one officer so frustrated that he put his hand to his gun.

"Maybe the police should have shorter shifts doing this, because at 11 a.m., they were already VERY and visibly angry," the reader said.