The Floyd County Health Department is announcing a pilot project to test for COVID-19 beginning Friday, March 20.
“We will be using a drive-thru format. Initially, the testing will be done in the parking lot of the Floyd County Health Department,” said Health Officer Dr. Thomas Harris.
“This testing will only be done on prescreened patients. If you are currently
testing, please continue this practice. Our tests will be run by a non-governmental lab,” he said.
“The intent is to identify and test patients that do not require immediate hospitalization,” said Harris.
The patients will be prescreened by their primary care provider or the Floyd County Health Department.
The patient will then be given an arrival time.
“We are not doing on-demand testing,” he said. “The prescreening process is essential to avoid delays and wasted, unnecessary tests.”
On arrival, the patient will have a copy of their government ID and insurance card (if available) made using an electronic device.
“We will ask them for contact numbers. A swab will be done of the nasopharynx,” said Harris. “We will notify the patient of the test results. We anticipate the testing process itself will take less than five minutes. The results may take several days to return.”
Harris would like to emphasize that this process will not test people who show up without prescreening.
“We will not initially be testing walk-ins. Our initial service hours start on the 20th will be 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. This testing plan is a project in evolution. We will update you on changes in hours, format, and testing procedures.”
If you have any questions, please contact the Floyd County Health Department at (812) 948-4726, ext. 656
