LAWRENCE – Asymptomatic COVID-19 mass testing events for Douglas County residents will begin on Dec. 12, and events are planned in each Douglas County city throughout that next week.
The testing is free for Douglas County residents, but an appointment is required. Anyone wanting to schedule a time to be tested can login via the following link: bit.ly/LDCPHcovidtest.
Only one appointment time is needed per vehicle, and multiple people in the vehicle can be tested.
“These mass testing events in our community are helping us to identify people who might be asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 so that we can isolate them and quarantine their contacts, hopefully to prevent them from unknowingly exposing others to the virus, particularly those who might be the most vulnerable in our community,” said Linda Craig, Director of Clinic Services at Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
The next round of testing events will be:
- Lawrence: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 19, Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St.**
- Eudora: noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13, Eudora Community Center, 1638 Elm St.*
- Baldwin City: noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 16, Liston Stadium, Baker University, 100 Fremont St.*
- Lecompton: noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 20, Lecompton Elementary School, 626 Whitfield St.*
*All events will be drive-through. In the event of inclement weather, the events in all cities will be moved on their designated days to the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lawrence to be under the covered pavilion.
**For individuals who are arriving via public transit to the Fairgrounds, a walk-through section will be available as well.
LMH Health announced the funding received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. One major area of focus for LMH Health’s funding request was testing in three specific areas: mass community testing, school baseline testing and healthcare and first responder surveillance testing. LMH Health has been allotted a total of 55,000 tests which will be delegated among these different areas.
In late November, LMH Health and LDCPH offered asymptomatic tests sites in the county. About 1,900 people were tested, with a positivity rate of 1.4%.
This testing is for asymptomatic individuals. Anyone feeling symptoms that could be consistent with COVID, please contact your doctor or the health department to be screened for testing, 785-856-4343.
For the asymptomatic testing events, individuals should not eat, drink (other than water), brush teeth, chew gum, or smoke 30 minutes prior to the test.
More information about the coming testing events, including answers to FAQs, is available here and at LDCHealth.org/coronavirus and douglascountyks.org/coronavirus.