Pinal County had no blitz locations
By Alison Steinbach | Arizona Republic
Arizona’s COVID-19 testing blitz program to expand testing during each Saturday in May has been a success, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
But Arizona counties have not experienced equal results.
More than 5,400 diagnostic tests were completed on May 2 and more than 9,700 on May 9, according to the state, significantly greater numbers than on Saturdays prior to the blitz. The health department does not yet have a final count for the May 16 event, because test results take up to 10 days to be reported to the department.
While the state has fallen short of its goal of 10,000 to 20,000 diagnostic tests each Saturday, Dr. Cara Christ, the Department of Health Services director, said she’s been “very pleased with the results” of the blitz because the results help the department understand how COVID-19 is spreading in Arizona.
County health officials on the ground say the testing blitz program has been a mixed bag. Some have had great experiences and increased test numbers, and for others the blitz has disappointed — or even been non-existent.
