Free testing for COVID-19 will be available on July 14 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Southeast Utah Health Department offices (575 S. Kane Creek Blvd., Moab) through mobile units from the Utah Public Health Lab. Advance registration is strongly recommended and a mask must be worn.
SEUHD Director Bradon Bradford said his department reached out to the Utah Public Health Lab, which has brought mobile testing to many other parts of the state, and asked if they would visit the region to supplement local testing availability.
“We’re really trying to increase availability to those that may not feel like they have a chance to get to the hospital,” Bradford said.
“I think everybody wants to see more tests happening,” said Bradford.
He said Grand County had seen a lull in testing activity in the past few weeks, but that it has picked back up along with the recent increase in coronavirus cases in the region.
As of July 7, there have been 20 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Grand County.
“This will give us a good snapshot of what’s going on in the community,” said Bradford of the mobile testing.
He added that this will be a recurring event, though the next date for mobile testing in the Moab area is not fixed; Bradford said it depends partly on the changing needs of various regions in the state.
People are asked to pre-register to be tested at the mobile unit on the SEUHD website at https://www.seuhealth.com/covid-19, but walk-ups will be accepted. Tests will be taken to the Utah Public Health Lab in Salt Lake City to be analyzed, and patients can expect to get their results one to two days after testing.
Only polymerase chain, or PCR, tests will be available at the mobile testing unit; that is, tests to determine whether a person currently has a coronavirus infection. Antibody tests to discover if a person has had the virus in the past and recovered will not be available. Both PCR and antibody tests are available at Moab Regional Hospital.
Mobile COVID-19 testing unit to come to Moab next week
“I think everybody wants to see more tests happening.”
– Bradon Bradford.
