As we approach the sixth month of the pandemic, testing for COVID-19 is more available than it ever has been in Tompkins County. Cayuga Health is processing more than 7,000 tests per day, and to see how it all works, I got my own COVID test.

I went ahead and booked my appointment online. They just asked me a few simple questions and then I was on my way to the sampling site behind the Ithaca Mall. 

"I'm hoping it doesn't hurt. But most people say it doesn't hurt, but I've seen how long the swab is so."

I guess you could say I was a little nervous. 

This was my first time getting a COVID-19 test; Cayuga Health started doing about 50 a day back in March, now they do more than 7,000 a day. 

"We had our first case on March 7, and we didn't really know at the time, but the world definitely changed since that day," said Elizabeth Plocharczyk of Cayuga Health. 

Tompkins County is offering these tests free right now for residents. 

"I'll have you rest your head right back against the head rest you can take your mask down. Lift your chin just a little bit," said a tester.

This is the part I was nervous about. 

Just 10 seconds and then you're done.

Like most people that test I didn't need to quarantine afterwards.

"It did not hurt at all. I think I was more nervous than I had to be."

Eighty percent of tests taken get results in less than 24 hours.

"Here at Cayuga Medical Center we've done over 125,000 tests. So our testers have really a lot of experience performing these tests," said Plocharczyk.

So the next day I logged in and checked for myself to see what my results were.

If I was positive, the county health department would give me a call. But I was negative.

"If you have a negative test one day, that doesn't mean the next day you won't have a positive test. So if you have a good reason to think that you've been exposed to somebody that has COVID or if you have symptoms, you should rely on multiple negative tests rather than just one," said Plocharczyk.

Tompkins County has put aside $300,000 of their county contingent funds, so anyone that needs a free test can get one for the next 10 weeks.