UW Medicine Will Tighten COVID Testing Requirements In New Year

SEATTLE, WA — Starting early next year, it will become harder to get tested for COVID-19 at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Beginning Jan. 4, UW Medicine will only test people who have symptoms of respiratory illness and/or who know they have been exposed to COVID-19. Testing for asymptomatic people will not be available, including before and after travel or gatherings.

Officials cited a high volume of omicron cases being processed in its laboratory as reasoning for the decision.

"Because each positive sample must undergo additional testing, the recent surge in positive tests limits the total number of samples that we can handle," the school said in a statement. "We apologize for this inconvenience and will continue to monitor testing capacity and adjust prioritization as this current surge of COVID-19 evolves."

Additionally, the Ballard, City Hall and Sammamish community sites operated by UW Medicine will close temporarily over capacity limitations, officials said, but nine UW Medicine COVID-19 testing locations remain open in Seattle and King County.

Updated information on COVID-19 testing site locations and hours of operation can be found on the UW Medicine website.