Dallas County to allow people without symptoms to be tested for COVID-19

DALLAS - Dallas County is once again relaxing the criteria for people who want to be tested for COVID-19.

Starting Saturday, Judge Clay Jenkins says testing will be available at county testing sites for any residents who are five years or older, with or without symptoms.

The county has seen significant drop off in demand at its drive thru and walk up sites.

Jenkins hopes this new strategy opens the flood gates on testing.

“Anyone without symptoms, over the age of five, can go to any of our test sites, drive-thru and walk up,” he said. “Parkland is going to be in charge of all the collection. We'll be sending these to private labs.”

Those private labs are promising results in two to four days.

“We've seen a decline in testing, so we have the capability and the capacity, and we need to get more people testing. We need to have testing readily available out there for when we do have those outbreaks so we can quickly test around those,” Jenkins added.

“I think the messaging and the strategies of testing do evolve during the course and through the course of a pandemic,” said Dr. Mark Casanova.

Dr. Casanova is the president of the Dallas County Medical Society, and he said hospitalizations and emergency room visits are down.

“It raises the question, are we seeing less testing because we're having fewer symptomatic cases in the community, or are folks simply not testing for a variety of reasons?” he said.

But with schools, including some colleges and universities, opening in some fashion in the next month, and some already reporting COVID-19 cases within days of opening, Dr. Casanova said the new strategy is to try and find people who show no symptoms, also known as silent spreaders.

“So that’s where these approaches that the county has set forth of free testing or enhanced testing or increasing capability capacity of testing, even for these individuals that are asymptomatic are also important,” Dr. Casanova said. “If individuals do believe that they've had contact or exposure because we know particularly young individuals can be asymptomatic carriers.”

“The goal is that everyone who wants a test can get one, but we're a long way from getting there,” Jenkins said. “The new norm will be everybody over five with or without symptoms.”

Pediatric patients are being directed to the Ellis Davis Field House where the staff is specially trained for younger patients. Drive thru sites at Eastfield College and Mountain View College are suited for adults.

Anyone seeking a test must provide proof of residency in Dallas County. There are exceptions for first responders, essential business workers and government employees who can show proof of employment within the county.