RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolinians will no longer need to get an order from their doctor to receive a coronavirus test.
The state announced the change on Tuesday in a move to boost testing in minority communities that are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
The state's top health official, Mandy Cohen, warned that North Carolina lacks the chemical reagents it needs to conduct tests faster.
This has caused the state to see delays of up to a week for residents to get back their COVID test results.
North Carolina on Tuesday recorded its highest day of current coronavirus-related hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.