Don’t want to drive to Lynden for your COVID test? You won’t have to starting Feb. 15
A new drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for the community will open at Bellingham International Airport on Monday, Feb. 15.
The effort is a collaboration between the Whatcom County Health Department and Northwest Laboratory, which will operate it, according to a health department news release on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Like the existing site at the Lynden Fairgrounds, which will remain open, the new one will allow people to get tested without first getting a doctor’s order.
“This will greatly expand our testing reach and capacity, especially for Bellingham and Ferndale residents,” said Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department, in the release.
The Bellingham testing site will run seven days a week, from noon to 3 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m.
It will be in parking lot A at the airport, off Mitchell Way. The Port of Bellingham is providing the space at no cost as “an important contribution towards public health in Whatcom County,” Port Executive Director Rob Fix said in the release.
Getting tested will require an appointment, which people can make starting at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10.
“Since moving our community testing site to Lynden, we’ve sought a community partner to replicate our successful model and help us bring testing services to more people in our county,” Lautenbach said.
She said Northwest Laboratory “answered the call, as they have so many times for our community during this pandemic.”
Northwest Laboratory has been analyzing COVID-19 samples taken at the Lynden testing site, which is operated by the health department and Whatcom Unified Command.
“Our organization has worked closely with the health department since this pandemic began, providing laboratory analysis for the WUC/WCHD community testing program,” said Jenny Bull, its chief operating officer. “We’re more than happy to expand testing access for the community by helping run this new testing site.”
The testing site at the Lynden Fairgrounds will operate with a slight change to its schedule on Wednesdays, starting on Feb. 17, when the hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
The Lynden site will close on Monday, Feb. 15, in observance of Presidents Day, while the new Bellingham site will open on Feb. 15.
Schedule an appointment for COVID-19 testing at either the Bellingham or Lynden site by going to TestDirectly.com/whatcom.
Health department volunteers also can help people who speak languages other than English or who don’t have internet access schedule a test. For assistance, call 360-778-6075 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
