Here’s where you can get a free COVID test in Arlington this week
So you’re back home from your holiday trip. You feel your throat tickle and your nose run. But you can’t find a COVID-19 testing appointment. What now?
Tarrant County Public Health reopened after being closed for the holidays, and there are several other options for testing so that you can get some peace of mind to return to the office, run errands or get together with friends.
After all the holiday travel, testing sites across the U.S. are experiencing shortages. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 380,000 Tarrant County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The omicron variant is driving a new surge in cases here.
The Star-Telegram put together a list of walk-in and drive-through sites where you can get tested this week in the Fort Worth area, many of which are free.
If you developed COVID-19 symptoms or got exposed to someone who might have COVID-19, and you want to get tested immediately, visit one of these locations. Don’t forget to bring a photo ID.
According to Tarrant County Public Health, you should consider getting tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms (a fever of 100.4 or greater, cough and shortness of breath), or you:
- are employed as a healthcare or essential worker;
- if you were exposed to COVID-19;
- are over 65;
- have chronic health conditions.
Get tested at a health center or community site
At North Texas Area Community Health Centers, you can get a rapid test that provides results the same day, or a lab test that returns results within three to four days. Both are by appointment only. They’ll swab your nose or mouth. If you want to book a test, the center recommends calling five days in advance.
Arlington Community Health Center — 979 North Cooper St., testing provided Mondays and Fridays from 1:20 to 3:20 p.m. To make an appointment, fill out an online form or call 817-625-4254
Community testing sites provide results in one to two days.
Parks Mall — 1375 W. Interstate 20, open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., walk-ins are accepted but online appointments are encouraged to minimize wait time. If you can’t make an appointment online, call 888-702-9042 to book it by phone
To find your closest location, visit book.curative.com, texas.fulgentgenetics.com or mycovidappointment.com and enter your address, or type “covid testing near me” in your Google Maps search bar.
Make an appointment at a pharmacy
- CVS — To make an appointment on cvs.com, enter your ZIP code, answer some questions and select your appointment date. You’ll find a list of your nearest locations and available times. Because of high demand for rapid tests, you’ll most likely be taking a lab test with results 1 or 2 days after your test. Store hours vary, so try to call your location beforehand.
- Grand Avenue Pharmacy — Their six Fort Worth locations provide walk-in rapid and PCR testing daily with varying hours. The pharmacy at 2707 Decatur Ave. is the only location open 24 hours. They don’t require appointments, but you can register online with your information first to make the process quicker. Because the pharmacy operates on a first-come, first-served basis, it’s best to call 817-523-8022 before leaving to ask about wait times for your location. The wait time can be up to several hours long.
- Walgreens — Go to walgreens.com to make an appointment for a drive-thru rapid test that takes less than 24 hours, or a lab test that may take slightly longer. Rapid antigen tests that give you results in about 1 hour are least likely to be available.
- Walmart — To make an appointment for a drive-thru test, go to questdiagnostics.com. You’ll answer a few questions to see if you’re eligible for free testing and you’ll receive an email with your appointment details after you book it. Because of lack of availability in the Fort Worth area, you may have to wait a few days to get your test. Rapid antigen tests are only available at limited locations.
If you can’t find an appointment at the above pharmacies, go to doineedacovid19test.com to find a local independent pharmacy that provides testing near you.
Get tested at a county or city testing site
Tarrant County Public Health clinics opened back up for their regular hours after New Year’s Day. To find your nearest open location, call 817-248-6299.
Because of increased demand for testing, the county has opened a vendor location in Arlington. Testing sites also are open on Tarrant County College campuses.
Most provide nasal swab tests, with only one clinic providing a saliva test. They use PCR testing, a viral diagnostic test that uses a technique called NAAT to determine if a person is infected. Your results should be sent to you 24 to 48 hours after your test by text or email. You’ll most likely get them the same evening or the next afternoon. If you don’t get your results by then, call your testing location.
Walk-In
Arlington Adult Health Services — 2596 E. Arkansas Lane, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., call 817-248-6066 to make an appointment
University of Texas at Arlington — 435 Spaniolo Drive, open all week 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., appointments encouraged through 888-702-9042 or curative.com
Drive-Thru
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus — 2100 Southeast Parkway, open Tuesday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m., Monday at 12 p.m., Friday at 9 a.m. and the next two Saturdays at 9 a.m., appointment encouraged through mycovidappointment.com
Ben Thanh Market — 1818 E. Pioneer Parkway, Suite 100, open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., appointments encouraged through 877-862-4647 or texas.fulgentgenetics.com
Take a test at home
While the results are not as reliable, you can purchase an at-home COVID-19 test kit from your local pharmacy if you’re unable to take a test in-person. You can either pick it up or have it delivered to you.
- BinaxNOW — $24 at Walgreens, comes with two nasal swab tests that give you results in 15 minutes
- QuickVue — $24 at Walgreens, comes with two nasal swab tests that give you results in 10 minutes
- Flowflex — $10 at CVS, comes with one nasal swab test that give you results in 15 minutes
- Ellume — $39 at CVS, comes with one nasal swab test that give you results in 15 minutes
- InteliSwab — $14 at Walmart, comes with two nasal swab tests that give you results in 30 minutes
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Here’s where you can get a free COVID test in Arlington this week."
