PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is asking citizens to stop going to hospital emergency departments to get COVID-19 testing.
Hospitals are seeing an increase in emergency room requests for testing, as cases have dramatically increased due to the omicron variant. The city said those requests divert "critical, life-saving resources from people who are truly experiencing an emergency."
“We understand that people want to be safe when they gather with friends and family this Christmas,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole in a city statement.
"We’ve all seen how difficult it is to find testing throughout the region. But overwhelming the city’s emergency departments just so you can gather for the holiday is dangerous for everyone.”
“Our hospital teams are at the ready to provide emergency care for patients with illnesses and injuries of all kinds, but we need the public’s help in safeguarding our resources to provide the right care in the right settings,” said P.J. Brennan, MD, chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in the city statement.
“Anyone experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain – which can be symptoms of COVID-19 and many other critical illnesses – should call 911 or seek care in an emergency department, but people in need of testing should seek other sites for care.”
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Hospital executives are asking people to get tested through their primary care physicians and urgent care. Pharmacies and other businesses and organizations are also offering COVID-19 testing.
Click here for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health COVID-19 testing finder.