The health departments of Denver, Boulder and neighboring metro area counties have warned that testing is of “limited value” if there are delays in processing times, and consequently recommended priority testing for those with COVID-19 symptoms and certain occupations.

“Prompt diagnosis (turnaround time of 48 hours or less) promotes care of the individual and control of the pandemic in the community,” the agencies’ findings read. The Denver Post reported that the country remains far short of the target to test three million people per day, and wait times for results can exceed one week in some places.

In addition to symptomatic residents, the health agencies suggest that those in acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities and institutions experiencing outbreaks be in the top tier of COVID-19 testing. Testing is “strongly recommended” for those in congregate settings, including prisons, and those who live in households with people diagnosed with COVID-19.

Despite Colorado’s increase in testing capacity, “the turnaround time for issuing test results from some laboratories used to test Colorado residents has become so prolonged as to make testing of limited value,” the report explains. Although the health agencies from Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties recommended that asymptomatic individuals have the lowest testing priority, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60% of COVID-19 transmission occurs before the infected person develops symptoms.