Vt. adds new technology to COVID testing options
A view of the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Last week on the cusp of the Thanksgiving holiday, Vermont officially added new COVID-19 testing technology to its available options. And state officials are reporting that the effort went well overall.
Last Wednesday, Nov. 24, Vermont rolled out the self-administered PCR test and the LAMP rapid-results test at sites around the state. Overall, a total of 1,130 tests were processed that day.
At a Tuesday press conference, Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said the timing was prompted by the fact that the national labs were shut down for the holiday, and the state is bringing in more self-administered and rapid-results tests over the next few weeks.
“We heard from many Vermonters that were very pleased to have the results in time for their holiday travel plans,” Smith said.
He said these kinds of tests allow more flexibility in Vermont’s statewide testing strategy.
“Offering the self-administered tests allows us to scale up quickly, adding more appointments and taking walk-ins at critical areas around the state,” Smith said.
Though last Wednesday’s rollout went well overall, Smith reported several challenges:
Nearly 100 people waited until Friday for results;
There were some software issues with trying to register minors for these tests - though there was eventually a same-day workaround for this issue;
At two locations, a few people were told they needed a cell phone to use the new testing tools. This is inaccurate, and the state is addressing this issue with contracted companies.
At at least three sites, learning the new technology caused wait times of up to an hour for a brief part of the day.
25 tests processed at University of Vermont Medical Center were incorrect due to a lab error. All impacted individuals were contacted, and UVM addressed the situation.
Nevertheless, as Smith pointed out, Vermont still leads the nation in the availability of testing per capita. As of Tuesday, it also leads the nation in the percentage of eligible people who have received their COVID-19 booster shot: 39%.
Overall, 93.5% of eligible Vermonters have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, and 82.5% have been fully vaccinated.
For more information about testing options, visit the health department’s web page here.
— Gareth Henderson
