Updated at 2:06 p.m.
On a chilly December morning two days before Christmas, Vermonters lined up across the state to pick up take-home Covid tests ahead of holiday get-togethers — only to be told, in many cases, that the tests were all gone.
State officials had announced on Tuesday that tens of thousands of test kits would be available at 16 distribution sites across the state Thursday. But by late morning, the Department of Health announced that most sites had run out of antigen tests for the day. (Those who reserved LAMP tests through the department’s website should still be able to obtain those Thursday, a department spokesperson said.)
The department said it would make more antigen test kits available Friday, December 24. Two kits will be available per car or walk-in, on a first-come-first-served basis. Some distribution sites were already scheduled to distribute additional kits after Christmas.
According to Department of Health spokesperson Ben Truman, the department expected to have distributed 30,000 tests on Thursday — including roughly 25,000 antigen test kits and 5,000 LAMP tests. The department said it would increase its supply of antigen test kits in the coming days, for a total of 96,000.
Antigen test kits deliver results within 15 minutes, and while they are not as accurate as PCR tests, they are still considered very accurate.
LAMP tests — which function similar to PCR tests, but provide faster results — are available by appointment only, the department said. The department’s appointment portal indicates there are no LAMP or PCR test appointments available on Thursday, except for a handful in Orange County.
People who previously made LAMP appointments should still be able to get their tests, according to Truman.
“We recognize the frustration (some) people may have, and hope that everyone — tested or not — follow all the recommended steps to help prevent spread of the virus,” he said.
Videos and reports from Vermonters who sought testing showed that many distribution sites featured long lines. Readers told VTDigger of numerous sites that closed or began limiting their supply to one kit per household before 10 a.m.
The department’s press release said Gov. Phil Scott’s administration continues to work on acquiring more antigen tests, “but like other states, we are constrained by the realities of the supply at the federal level.”
This story will be updated.
The following Agency of Transportation facilities will be distributing test kits on Friday starting at 8 a.m. until supplies run out, according to the Department of Health:
Bennington
359 Bowen Road
Colchester
5 Barnes Avenue
Dummerston
870 US Route 5
Mendon
61 Valley View
Newport
4611 US Route 5
St. Albans
680 Lower Newton Road
St. Johnsbury
1098 US Route 5
White River Junction
223 Beswick Drive
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