Washington, D.C., is seeking a spike in COVID-19 testing demand after an outbreak of the virus at the White House, NPR reported.
The D.C. mayor's chief of staff said that on Oct. 5 the city performed 3,962 tests, an 81 percent increase over the previous Monday.
"While we do not have data on what compelled people to get tested today, it would be hard to imagine that the recent news did not drive more people to do so. We will continue to monitor the demand this week and urge residents if they need a test to get a test," John Falcicchio, the chief of staff told NPR.
Some people told NPR that it took them more than an hour to get tested Oct. 6 at Judiciary Square, the district's largest public testing site. A White House reporter told the publication that she and her colleagues were frustrated by the lack of information and advice given to people who work in the White House about the outbreak.
Amanda Castel, MD, an epidemiologist at George Washington University in D.C. told NPR that most D.C. residents shouldn't be concerned about the White House outbreak, although the extent of it is still unknown.
"If people weren't practicing social distancing and wearing masks consistently, we may see that this evolves into what we would consider to be a super-spreader event," Dr. Castel said.
At least seven cases of COVID-19 have been tied to a Sept. 26 nomination ceremony for Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House's Rose Garden, including President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
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