Kentucky official: Don’t go to ER just for COVID test

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack says people who don’t need emergency care shouldn’t visit hospitals for COVID-19 testing but should go to a pharmacy or contact their local health department for more resources instead. Stack said Thursday that Kentucky’s emergency rooms have been reeling from record-high ICU admissions among virus patients. He says patients who arrive at hospitals seeking only a test may have to wait hours and could be billed even if they leave without being tested. Information on how to find a COVID-19 testing site in Kentucky is available online at https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-covid-testing.