WELD COUNTY, Colo. – With the goal of eventually testing 10% of the county population by mid-July, Weld County will operate four free drive-up COVID-19 testing sites in early June at locations across the county.
The testing will be available for adults age 18+ who are symptomatic or who are asymptomatic but have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Getting tested will not require a doctor’s note.
People will have to register by 3 p.m. the day before each testing site is operational but registration will open seven days before each testing date.
The first four testing sites, and their respective registration periods, are as follows:
· June 1 – Fort Lupton – Southeast County Services Complex, 2950 9th Street (Registration: May 25 – May 31)
· June 3 – Briggsdale – Briggsdale School, 515 Leslie Street (Registration: May 27 – June 2)
· June 5 – Severance – Severance High School, 1200 Hidden Valley Parkway (Registration: May 29 – June 4)
· June 8 – Firestone – Southwest County Services Complex, 4209 Weld Co. Rd 24 ½ (Registration: June 1 – June 7)
Weld County says more dates and locations will be revealed in coming weeks.
The county said that this is the first time since the beginning of the outbreak that it has obtained enough test kits to test the general population.
Weld County had the fifth-highest case rate per 100,000 people in Colorado as of Friday (753.2 per 100,000 people) and the fourth-most deaths among Colorado counties, with 125. It has also seen several outbreaks, including one at the JBS meatpacking plant that has left eight workers dead.
Once a person has registered at the county health department’s website, on the day of the appointment, they will be asked to come to the station with their windows rolled up.
People will have to show staffers a photo ID and email confirmation of their testing reference ID and appointment time through the closed window.
Once an appointment is confirmed, people will be asked to show their ID and reference ID to the admissions staffers, who will verify the person’s name and date of birth and attach a specimen bag to their car.
Then, a person will have their test taken with a swab, after which they will be done and notified of their results over the phone within 24 hours, the county said.
The county said that it hopes to test 10% of the county population by July 18, along with health care providers and other partners.
“We know that COVID-19 availability is important to our residents, and our staff has been working diligently to expand testing opportunities,” Weld County Chair Mike Freeman said in a statement. “Now that we have tests for widespread community testing, we look forward to testing those who need it and [are] using that data to gain more knowledge about COVID-19 in our county.”
