Need a COVID test? Thurston County opens new free mass-testing site
Residents can access free COVID-19 testing at the Thurston County Fairgrounds through Jan. 14.
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services opened the drive-through, mass PCR testing site on Wednesday and plans to continue operating the site from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays, according to a county news release. No testing will be offered on weekends.
For now, officials have limited testing to symptomatic individuals, close contacts to a person with a positive COVID-19 test, or people who have been instructed to get tested by public health or their healthcare provider.
People who meet these criteria should stay home and get tested as soon as possible, said Health Officer Dimyana Abdelmalek.
“If you have not received the COVID-19 vaccine or booster yet, I encourage you to get vaccinated and not delay any further,” Abdelmalek said in the news release. “Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.”
The decision to reopen the mass testing site came as the more transmissible Omicron variant has driven an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases. PHSS reported a record high 2,126 cases for the week of Dec. 27 to Jan. 2.
As of Thursday, PHSS has logged 1,415 cases for the week of Jan. 3-9.
Although the fairgrounds site has a 1 p.m. end time, the release says PHSS will test the last patient at 12:50 p.m. each day. If the site reaches capacity, then all lanes will be closed to new patients.
Patients can expect their test results within 48-72 hours from the time of testing, per the release. However, PHSS warns high demand may cause delays.
With this pivot to mass testing, PHSS has canceled its mobile testing clinics for the next two weeks.
Residents planning to visit clinics at Tenino City Park, Rochester Organization of Families, Lacey, the Union Gospel Mission in Olympia or The Evergreen State College are encouraged to visit the fairgrounds instead.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Need a COVID test? Thurston County opens new free mass-testing site."
