A pandemic milestone: Providence to close testing site in Hawks Prairie

The number of residents seeking COVID-19 testing is declining, and resources are needed to increase vaccination efforts, so Providence and Thurston County Health & Social Services have decided to close the drive-through testing site at the Providence Medical Group in Hawks Prairie.

The site will close March 31, Providence said in a news release.

The drive-through testing site opened in March 2020, and over the past year, the site has tested more than 36,000 patients, according to the release. That’s about a quarter of the 150,000 tests administered in the county during that time.

If you need to get a COVID-19 test, there are still other options available:

• If you are a Providence Medical Group patient, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.
• If you are not a Providence Medical Group patient, walk-in appointments are available at Providence immediate care clinics in west Olympia, Hawks Prairie and Lacey.
• Check out the Thurston County website for a list of other available locations.

If the need should arise, Providence officials say they will be able to reinstitute the drive-through testing site in a matter of days, by shifting resources back to testing from vaccination.

“Our caregivers are willing and able to be flexible by shifting their talents to where the greatest need is,” said Providence Chief Nursing Officer Suzie Scott in the news release.

This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 7:15 PM.