In its second week, mobile COVID-19 testing will be at these locations in Whatcom County
Mobile testing for COVID-19 will continue throughout Whatcom County during the week of Aug. 31, with a change in where the tests will be done in Bellingham.
The testing site for Bellingham will be at Civic Field starting Saturday, Aug. 29, to help reduce disruption to traffic and improve safety for volunteers, workers and people getting tested, according to a news release from the Whatcom County Health Department on Friday, Aug. 28.
That’s a move away from the 211 E. Champion St. site in Bellingham.
The department and Whatcom Unified Command are working together to bring COVID-19 testing to residents throughout Whatcom County to help make it easier for people to get tested by removing barriers that include first getting a doctor’s order or requiring residents in the rest of the county to drive into Bellingham.
The new program started Monday, Aug. 24, although public health officials field-tested the effort before launching it.
“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, in the release.
“The feedback we’ve received from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” Lautenbach said.
To be tested the next week, people must first make an appointment online through testdirectly.com starting Saturday, Aug. 29. Or, schedule a test by calling 360-778-6075 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Testing locations and hours for next week are:
▪ Bellingham, 1355 Civic Field Way, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, as well as the same times for Saturday, Sept. 5.
▪ Blaine, Birch Bay Bible Community Church, 4460 Bay Road, 9 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Sept. 1.
▪ Ferndale, Events Center, 5715 Barrett Road, 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.
▪ Deming, Nooksack Casino, 5048 Mount Baker Highway, 9 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Sept. 2.
▪ Everson, Christ Fellowship, 1208 E. Main St., 1-4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2.
▪ Lynden, Bender Fields, 8770 Bender Road, 9 a.m.-noon, Friday, Sept. 4.
▪ Lynden, Sikh Temple, 176 E. Pole Road, 1-4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4
Anyone can get tested at no cost, even if they don’t have insurance. People who do have health insurance must provide that information when scheduling an appointment, or they might be held responsible for the cost of the COVID-19 test under a federal program that reimburses the health department for those who aren’t insured.
Test results will be provided by phone, by email or by logging into the patient portal at testdirectly.com. The health department will call those who test positive and will receive information about isolation and limiting the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 as well as to begin contact tracing.
More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
Related to COVID-19 testing, Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has extended two emergency orders until Sept. 27.
The extension is for Kreidler’s order requiring health insurers to waive co-pays and deductibles for people requiring testing and his order protecting consumers from receiving surprise bills for lab fees related to diagnostic testing for COVID-19 that is medically necessary, according to a news release from the commissioner’s office.
