The central downtown branch of Forsyth County Library gave away close to 200 at-home rapid COVID-19 tests last month, as part of a county-wide effort to overcome barriers to testing.
“The best test you can get is the test you have when you need it with fast results,” said Joshua Swift, Forsyth County Public Health Director. “We knew that the libraries reach all of our citizens, and we knew that we would reach a lot of historically marginalized individuals through our libraries.”
Forsyth County implemented the distribution of at-home COVID-19 test kits from its health department and all 10 county libraries. On Feb. 25, the county completed its second wave of this program, which followed the nationwide test shortage in January.
In total, county libraries received 2,000 COVID-19 at-home test kits for distribution; individual libraries received 100 per wave, according to Forsyth County Assistant Public Health Director, Denise Price. Libraries distributed the tests from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. There was a limit of one kit per adult. Four libraries have given out all of their tests from round two; the previous week, all 10 libraries ran out of tests.
Forsyth County Central Library is the closest public library for residents of downtown Winston Salem. According to Dillon Hall, an access services assistant in Central Library, if people appeared to be over 18 and asked the information desk for a test, they were given a test kit containing two tests and a packet containing relevant information on the tests and COVID-19. Patrons were not required to show ID. There were no signs indicating where to ask for tests.
The federal government’s four free at-home test kits were only readily available to those with a permanent address, as Hall pointed out. Central Library’s downtown location is close to several shelters for the homeless and caters to a large portion of Forsyth County’s homeless population.
According to past reports by Heard it Here journalists, Central Library serves as more than just a library for individuals experiencing homelessness; it is a bathroom, a place to get away from the cold, and a haven offering peace and safety. COVID-19 has worsened the housing crisis on a national scale, and accessing tests and care remains essential. The incorporation of COVID-19 resources into this place of refuge is important for community wellbeing, according to Hall.
Forsyth County chose to work with libraries because they are accessible locations across the community. The Public Health Department held a drive-through to hand out testing kits at the peak of testing shortages. This event gave out over 2,000 tests, but a drive-through with a large amount of traffic continues to exclude marginalized communities, especially those without cars or the time to wait for several hours. Free and accessible at-home test kits are a step in a more equitable direction, though library-based distribution occurred after the peak of the testing crisis.
Existing COVID-19 inequality only worsened amid test shortages following the spread of the Omicron variant. Taking time off work, finding transportation to testing sites, and potentially paying for a test are all obstacles for people from low-income backgrounds. Receiving a positive test poses a challenge for anyone, but it can be devastating for those working jobs with hourly wages; these positions are much less likely to offer remote working options or paid time off.
With cases declining and Winston-Salem mask mandates dropped as of March 1, the future of county-funded COVID-19 at-home tests remains up in the air.
“The cases are really plummeting, so if we’d been able to do the distribution in January, we would have gotten even more response,” said Todd Luck, communications specialist for Forsyth County. “This may be something we plan to keep in the libraries because the pandemic is not going away. The public health department is located in a very accessible place for minority neighborhoods. The idea about putting [at-home tests] in the libraries is that it’s accessible in every community. The county appreciates the response and people coming out to get a kit and test.”
Image Credit: Forsyth County Library
