CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Since last year, the Governor of Ohio has been touting at-home testing kits for COVID-19.
Earlier this year, the state started handing out the free kits to local libraries and universities for the community to pickup and take home for discreet testing, but as of this week, all area locations were out of the tests.
Libraries in Chillicothe, Circleville, Lancaster, Waverly, and more were out of the kits. Many of them said they did not know when they would receive more. Corporate for-profit stores such as Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS were sold out within a 40 mile radius of Chillicothe.
Ross County Health Department has some kits left for free.
The shortage of kits come as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rise. Ohio is seeing record setting number that haven’t been recorded since the height of the pandemic last year.
Today, Adena Health announced the rescheduling of elective surgeries. Their urgent care centers are also seeing detrimental numbers.
On Tuesday, the urgent care on Western Avenue in Chillicothe said they had a four hour wait for COVID testing that would take 3-to-6 days for results.
