AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — WNY COVID testing sites say they’re seeing an uptick in people looking to get tested.
7 Eyewitness News visited two different sites Monday, Brighton Eggert Pharmacy in Tonawanda and KSL Laboratories in Amherst, both with long lines.
“Unfortunately, we’re testing 200 people a day,” said Don Arthur, the owner of Brighton Eggert.
Brighton Eggert is one of the locations in WNY that has been testing for COVID since November of last year. Arthur says during the summer, the testing site was only testing about 20 people per day. That has now changed.
“Over the 200 tests we have done over the last week, it’s increased,” Arthur said. “We’re into the holiday season now. I would say half of them are here because they’re not feeling well, he said.
Brighton Eggert offers PCR rapid tests with results in 1-2 hours, and a PCR test with results within a day. Those tests are sent to KSL laboratories in Amherst.
“Since Thanksgiving we’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of cases,” said Kevin Lawson of KSL Diagnostics.
Lawson says KSL labs across WNY have been testing in the low thousands per day.
“It seems to have shifted pretty rapidly in the last couple of weeks,” he said.
KSL offers rapid antigen tests for $65, a regular PCR test with results in a day for $125 and a rapid PCR test with results in 30 minutes for $200.
“These tests are generally covered by insurance,” he said.
Erie County says it’s also purchasing more tests to keep up with demand, spending $1.2 million for 20,000 rapid molecular test kits.
Erie County is offering free testing by calling 716-858-2929.
Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul also announced 10 million at home tests will be distributed to local counties soon.
