COVID-19 Mobile Testing Program: Week of 8/31; Scheduling Starts 8/29

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 28, 2020

Media Contact: Amy Cloud, Public Information Officer

Phone: (360) 318 - 4356

E-mail address: WUC_JIC@co.whatcom.wa.us

COVID-19 Mobile Testing Program Continues Week of August 31; Appointments May Be Scheduled Starting August 29

Bellingham, WA - The mobile, low-barrier testing program organized and staffed by the Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD) and Whatcom Unified Command (WUC) will continue at all sites throughout the county during the week of August 31.
“The first week of testing at all seven county locations has gone very well, with a daily average of 166 specimens processed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. Testing is a key component in disease containment, and we’re pleased to offer a needed program for those with barriers to testing,” said Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department. “The feedback we’ve received from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Testing is available at the following sites and times:

table showing testing times and locations

Effective Saturday, Aug. 29, the Bellingham testing site will be located at Civic Field. This change will help reduce traffic disruptions and improve safety for staff, volunteers and those seeking tests.

Testing is available by appointment only. Appointments for the upcoming week can be scheduled online at www.TestDirectly.com starting Saturday, August 29. The Testing Access Scheduling Line at (360) 778-6075 is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily for anyone who cannot schedule online or for those who need additional assistance.

Anyone can get tested through the mobile program, including those without insurance or a physician referral, and there is no cost to be tested. For billing purposes, anyone with insurance must provide their insurance information when scheduling an appointment. Those without insurance can also be tested at no cost to them through a federal program that will reimburse the Health Department for all costs associated with the test. People who have insurance are not eligible for the federal program and may be held responsible for the cost of a COVID-19 test if they do not provide their health insurance information.

Test results will be reported electronically, by email or by logging into https://www.testdirectly.com/patient/report. All individuals with positive test results will receive a call from the WCHD with information about isolation and limiting spread of the virus, and to begin the process of contact tracing.

For more information on the mobile testing program and testing in Whatcom County visit the Whatcom County Health Department’s testing page.

This information is available as a .pdf

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