NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — Rural areas in Southeast Texas are seeing a major uptick in COVID-19 cases.
With the increase comes an overwhelming demand for testing.
A line could be seen Tuesday wrapping around the fairgrounds in Newton County as people waited in cars to receive a test swab.
Newton County, along with Jasper and Tyler counties are seeing a greater demand for testing.
Jasper County Judge Mark Allen says about a month ago, a test site would see about 60 patients. During the last week, some of those sites are seeing as many as 250 people.
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The site in Newton County was supposed to be open until 4, but reached testing capacity by 1:30 p.m. According to Jasper County Judge Mark Allen, Jasper is seeing a greater demand for testing.
"Earlier on in March, April, May, early June, it was more abstract. COVID-19 was abstract. People are beginning to have family members be infected, their co-workers, their church members, their organization members. People are beginning to take it more serious and become more concerned," Allen said.
He says Jasper, Newton, Tyler and Sabine counties are working together to provide more testing and also employ additional contact tracers to help track the spread.