Two health systems that operate hospitals in Northern Virginia — Inova and Novant — are asking those with COVID-19 symptoms to avoid going to their emergency rooms for testing to make space for patients who need emergency care. Amid a surge of coronavirus cases, Inova’s emergency rooms are prioritizing patients who require emergency care and those who are critically ill. Inova operates six hospitals in Northern Virginia. Novant Health issued a similar plea on social media.
🛎️A friendly reminder that emergency rooms are for emergencies! Please do not go to the ER if you need a #COVID19 test. We encourage you to visit https://t.co/KxgMZ0c8q3 to find a testing location near you or to utilize our online self-guided assessment tool.🛎️
— Novant Health (@NovantHealth) December 28, 2021
Inova said in a Facebook post people should get tested at a community site or use a home test kit. Novant Health has tool to find a COVID-19 test nearby is online.
Anyone who is asymptomatic or has mild systems is discouraged from coming to the ER “so we may preserve resources for those in our community with emergent medical needs,” Inova said. Many hospitals only administer COVID-19 tests with a doctor’s order, so it’s likely faster and cheaper to find another testing site. The spike in COVID-19 cases has lead Inova hospital system to manage all requests for monoclonal antibodies online, according to the Facebook post. The hospitals also are restricting eligibility for those treatments.
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