Tarrant County program to offer free saliva testing for COVID-19 at middle school
Registration continued on Monday for Tarrant County residents who want to receive a free COVID-19 saliva test.
The pilot program, which is being launched through a partnership with Tarrant County and the City of Fort Worth, starts Tuesday at J.P. Elder Middle School, 709 N.W. 21st St.
County and city officials said the testing site’s location in north Fort Worth addresses the need for more COVID-19 testing in the county’s Hispanic communities and specifically in the 76106 ZIP code. Bilingual personnel will be available on-site to assist with language barriers.
“COVID-19 incidence rates are rapidly increasing county-wide. Fort Worth residents are looking to their elected officials to provide resources to combat the spread of this pandemic,” said City Council member Carlos Flores, District 2, in a weekend news release. “Launching saliva-based pilot testing in District 2 provides residents in some of the hardest impacted zip codes better access to accurate testing with quick results reporting. My appreciation to our continued partnership with Tarrant County and our healthcare agencies.”
The tests will be administered by appointment only beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday at the school. Initially, tests will be limited to 300 per day. Public health officials may increase that number after assessing the program.
Online registration for the testing is at covidtesting.tarrantcounty.com. Residents who do not have access to a computer may call 817-248-6299 to schedule their appointment.
“Readily available testing with timely results plays a critical role in our continued efforts to prioritize public health and keep Fort Worth’s economy open,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price in a news release. “This saliva testing pilot program is a great opportunity to provide accessible testing alternatives to our residents to help slow the spread of COVID-19, while also increasing testing capacity in an area with increased positive cases.”
Residents who are being tested should not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum starting 30 minutes before the test, according to public health officials. Residents also must remain in their vehicle for the test, and face coverings are required.
Patients should bring a smart phone to the testing site, which will be used to link the testing materials to the patient’s profile. Patients who do not have access to a smart phone can receive assistance from staff on-site, officials said.
“We look forward to working with our partner, the City of Fort Worth, in increasing our testing sites for our citizens”, said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley in the news release.
Officials hope the pilot program will make test results available quickly, meet equity needs and increase testing capacity.
For more information, go to fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19/testing. For Tarrant County testing information, visit tarrantcounty.com/covidtestinfo.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
