MOULTRIE, Ga. — The free COVID-19 testing ads some might’ve seen for more than a month might be separate from Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s testing, but the results mean all the same for Colquitt County.

This testing comes courtesy of the Augusta University Health System and the Georgia National Guard who sit in CRMC’s parking lot to serve passersby. 

The site opened on April 24 and has taken 474 tests as of May 12. 

As of May 13 CRMC reported 1,605 tests, of which 232 were positive, 1,346 were negative and 27 are pending. That’s the most recent report on the hospital’s COVID-19 website at colquittregional.com/covid-19. It doesn’t include any of Augusta University’s tests.

Augusta University, however, was unable to release demographic data and percentages for positive and negative numbers.

CRMC Marketing Director Emily Watson said the end result may be the same but a line splitting into two happens for a reason. Appointments and physician orders aren’t required for the free testing, but CRMC has a short process for theirs.

“Individuals may drive through the testing site without any appointment or doctor’s order, or they may contact their local doctor and receive an order for testing at the same location,” she said.

Colquitt Regional has performed more COVID-19 tests because it started earlier. In the time both facilities have been testing, many more people have taken the free COVID-19 test over CRMC’s, but that doesn’t mean the hospital plans to stop or slow testing altogether.

“We still do COVID testing in our emergency department, we still do COVID testing in all the floors for admitted patients when needed, and we’re doing all the pre-ops,” Watson said.

CRMC will continue to update its online tracker based on its test results.

Anyone desiring to take the free test can do so from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day in the  Colquitt Regional parking lot. Again, no appointment is required, but a test can be scheduled by visiting www.augustaexpresscare.org.