The Grundy County Health Department has announced free community COVID-19 testing will be available for residents of Grundy and Mercer counties on Saturday, May 30.
Testing will be done from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as a drive-through event, using the county flu shot route, which begins in the parking lot of the Fist Christian Church at 17th Street and Princeton Road (entering from 17th Street). No more than four persons are to be in a vehicle. Actual testing, which includes a nose swab, will be done at the Emergency Services Complex.
The testing is being offered by the health department in partnership with Wright Memorial Hospital, Mosaic Life Care and the Mercer County Health Department.
The testing will be active COVID-19 testing, not antibody testing. The health department is encouraging members of the public who are experiencing one or more symptoms of COVID-19 or believe they have been exposed to get tested. However, a person does not have to have symptoms to be tested at this event. Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
Testing participants must be at least 18 years of age.
Those wanting to be tested during the event are asked to pre-register in advance to receive an appointment time. The registration process includes several pages of information being obtained, so pre-registration is encouraged to ensure testing can be done in a timely matter. Pre-registration can be done at https://health.mo.gov/communitytest. The link is also be posted to the health department Facebook page and website.
Persons who do not have access to a computer or would like assistance with the sign-up process can call 877-435-8411.
“This community COVID-19 testing event is a great opportunity for us to collaborate with our healthcare partners and neighbors to bring this free service to residents of Grundy and Mercer counties,” health department emergency response planner Kelli Hillerman said.
For more information about the testing event, persons can call the health department at 660-359-4196.
Meanwhile, the health department has confirmed the first two positive cases of COVID-19 in Grundy County.
The announcement was made late Thursday afternoon. Health department officials report the cases are in separate households and both are isolating in their homes, although one of the cases has since been moved to an out-of-town hospital for further treatment. Close contacts in each of the cases have been identified and communicated with by health department officials regarding further precautions those individuals should be taking.
The health department urges the public to continue taking appropriate precautions including good hygiene, social distancing and limiting in-person interactions. Persons should avoid close contact with people not in their household, especially those who are sick; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol; stay home when sick; and clean frequently-touched objects and surfaces often.
Persons who are experiencing symptoms or believe they have been exposed should stay home except to seek medical care. However, they should call before going to their doctor’s office or the emergency room.
As of Tuesday, Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Cener have tested 934 persons for COVID-19.
Testing numbers at WMH total 268, including 192 from Grundy County, 44 from Mercer County and 32 from other counties. At Hedrick, 666 have been tested, including 396 from Livingston County, 95 from Grundy County, 17 from Mercer County and 158 from other counties.
All patients admitted to a Saint Luke’s Health System hospital, including WMH and HMC, are being tested for COVID-19. The universal inpatient COVID-19 testing approach includes patients admitted for observation as well as those fully admitted as inpatients. Additionally, all patients scheduled for a surgery or procedure will be tested for COVID-19 at the local drive-through clinic in Chillicothe at least 48 to 72 hours prior to the procedure.
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