Local health officials expect a surge in COVID-19 testing after Thanksgiving, as travelers return from holiday gatherings.
Health officials are urging anyone who traveled or gathered over the Thanksgiving holiday to get tested and quarantine for 14 days to avoid an even more significant surge in cases.
Andrea LaCroix, professor and chief of epidemiology at UC San Diego, said testing is imperative for those who did not abide by CDC guidelines and recommendations for the holiday.
“If you’re out and about and you went to a holiday gathering, you were in the airports, you were in the restaurants or restrooms and you got infected, it is important to get tested,” she said. “If you are positive you can get yourself out of the community and back into your house where you won't be spreading it around more widely.”
The amount of recent travel and rise in cases may also lead to long lines at testing sites, like seen on Monday at the Tubman Chavez Community Center.
Leslee Buluran was waiting in line there because one of her coworkers tested positive for the virus.
“I have people under my household that have a lot of underlying health issues and I want to make sure that I am always cautious. This is one of the steps that I do to protect myself and my household,” Buluran said.
She believes people can abide by health guidelines and still enjoy the holiday season.
“I feel like we still have time, as long as everybody wears their masks and stays inside as much as possible and hopefully we can enjoy the holidays,” Buluran said.
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Lacroix says the rest of the holiday season will likely bring even higher case counts and COVID-19 deaths unless further measures are taken to abide by CDC guidelines.
“It just makes me want to cry for our population because I just think it's going to be an enormous amount of pain these next two months,” she said.
San Diego County has over 35 testing locations throughout the region. To book an appointment or find a non-appointment test site go to sandiegocounty.gov or call 2-1-1.
