If you’re waiting to get your hands on a home COVID-19 test kit, you may be waiting for a while.
That’s because most local pharmacies are completely sold out of the kits due to a sudden surge in demand over the holiday season. At Walmart, Pharmacy Director Gail Barrett says the increase in demand began just ahead of Thanksgiving and saw a sharp uptick last week ahead of the Christmas holiday when the retailer was completely sold out of home test kits.
Haag Pharmacy owner Amber Haag says she believes the rise in demand was due in part to individuals wanting to test and make sure they could safely gather with friends and families during the holidays. Barrett agrees and adds that she feels we “hit a lull” in case numbers over the past few months leading to a false sense of security and a lower stockpile of testing supplies.
Haag pharmacy and Graves Drug are also out of stock of home test kits at this time. Haag tells KVOE News that they are tentatively set to have more kits in stock by mid-January, however, she says that could change based on the continued supply chain shortages that have impacted the country through much of the past year.
Haag says if you are in need of a COVID test at this time you need to contact the Lyon County Health Department or your normal physician. For vaccinations, Walmart, Haag and Graves all offer vaccines with Haag and Walmart offering all three approved doses and Graves offering both Moderna and Pfizer.
Appointments for vaccinations are required and can be scheduled by calling Walmart at 620-342-7711 or by visiting Walmart.com. You can schedule a vaccination through Haag by visiting Haagpharmacy.com or by calling 620-342-1242. To schedule an appointment through Graves call 620-343-2323 or visit Gravesdrug.com.
