DeKalb suspends COVID testing due to ‘staffing challenges’

11/17/2020 -  Atlanta, Georgia - Two nurses work around a car with four individuals receiving COVID-19 tests at a DeKalb County Department of Health COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Atlanta, Tuesday, November 17, 2020.  (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

11/17/2020 - Atlanta, Georgia - Two nurses work around a car with four individuals receiving COVID-19 tests at a DeKalb County Department of Health COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Atlanta, Tuesday, November 17, 2020. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Citing “staffing challenges,” the DeKalb County Board of Health has cancelled all COVID-19 testing appointments scheduled for Friday.

A health board spokesman said the staff shortage was “due to illness” but declined to provide further information, saying doing so would be a violation of privacy laws.

Officials said individuals who had appointments scheduled at the department’s lone testing site at Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church were notified and “provided options to reschedule or register for testing at another location, including testing sites in neighboring counties.”

Online registration for future testing appointments is still available online.

The DeKalb Board of Health also offers the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents, but supply is limited and appointment availability is sporadic. The scheduling portal can be found here.