Less Demand For Coronavirus Tests

Sydney Martin was in Downtown Huntsville after learning why Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said the number of tests going down is a good thing.

Good news.

Today- hospital c-e-o david spillers told me they're focusing on the number of people who are getting tested... because people generally get tested when they feel sick.

Spillers is hoping fewer people going for tests means fewer people are sick.

Spillers "i got my fingers crossed that masking is going to make a difference.

" monday, huntsville hospital c-e-o david spillers told me he's hoping madison county is starting to see the impact of the county's mandatory masking ordinance two weeks ago.

He believes the mask order could explain the dip in coronavirus testing demand.

Spillers"i think masking is definitely a part of that...too early to tell if that's the total reason."

Spillers explained the statewide masking order that started less than a week ago is even more important.

Spillers "i think statewide masking will help this community substantially because we got so many people in and out of our community that were coming from other areas and if they weren't masking it wasn't going to do any good if they came here."

I asked spillers about a system overload at a private lab processing some of the hospital's coronavirus tests.

That's when he told me the hospital is shifting some of its focus when it comes to numbers.

David spillers "whether those positives come in today, tomorrow or the next day, it's important but, it doesn't change the fact that fewer people sought testing last week in general, and that's a good sign."

Spillers said he's hopeful the community is stopping the spread of the virus.

David spillers "the increases are minimal.

I think they're a little bit...i won't say totally flat, but they're not going up at the rate they were a couple weeks ago.

We think we will continue to see inpatients go up.

" david spillers i don't think we have reached our peak yet.

I hope they don't go up much further."

Today- spillers explained although it can take people up to 14 days for a patient to get symptoms. it usually takes another week before they end up in the hospital.

That means the impacts of the 4 of the july holiday might not be apparent just yet.

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.