Whatcom’s low-barrier, drive-thru testing program to move indoors for winter weather
Beginning Dec. 1, all of Whatcom County’s low-barrier community drive-thru COVID-19 testing will be moving indoors at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden to provide shelter during the region’s inclement weather months.
The fairgrounds test site will replace all of the test sites around the county currently being used for the program operated by the Whatcom County Health Department and Whatcom Unified Command, according to a news release Monday, Nov. 23. The new testing site will be available five days a week, including on Saturdays.
“We know that COVID-19 will be with us for some time — and ongoing testing will be needed even once a vaccine is available in our community,” Whatcom County Health Director Erika Lautenbach said in the release. “That’s why it is so important to have this new testing location established for the seasons to come, as it will be safe and accessible regardless of the variations in weather we can expect to experience from late fall through early spring.”
Community members still must sign up via TestDirectly or by phone (360-778-6075) to make an appointment for testing, and those tested should allow up to 72 hours to receive results, according to the release.
The new testing site will be in the Henry Jansen Agricultural Center Pig Barn, according to the release. Those receiving tests will be asked to enter the fairgrounds off Front Street at Gate 2 and follow signage to the barn, which they will drive through, and the follow signage to exit the fairgrounds.
The testing schedule beginning Dec. 1 will be:
▪ Mondays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.
▪ Tuesdays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.
▪ Wednesdays noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.
▪ Fridays noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.
▪ Saturdays 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m.
Whatcom Unified Command and the health department partnered in August to begin providing the low-barrier, community drive-thru COVID-19 testing.
The new test location should protect those being tested and testing staff and volunteers from harsh weather conditions, according to the release, and should ensure fewer weather-related cancellations.
The schedule for testing before Dec. 1 is:
▪ Wednesday, Nov. 25, 9 a.m.-noon at the Nooksack casino parking lot.
▪ Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1-4 p.m. at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden.
▪ Friday, Nov. 27, noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden.
▪ Saturday, Nov. 28, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. at the Civic Stadium parking lot in Bellingham.
▪ Monday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. at the Civic Stadium parking lot in Bellingham.
“Testing is important for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, but it is not the only tool,” Lautenbach said in the release. “The most important actions we can take to minimize spread of the disease continue to be wearing a mask, maintaining physical space from others, and staying home when you’re sick or if you’ve been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
CORRECTION: The telephone number for testing was corrected Nov. 24, 2020.
