Hamilton County will continue to increase community COVID-19 testing and availability next week by opening its Bonnyshire Drive weekday testing facility to anyone without requiring an appointment.
“We’re hoping by not having to have appointments, we’ll allow people to come when they’re having symptoms and not have to roll that a day or two,” Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said at a news conference Monday.
Up to 150 people will be able to receive screening swabs at the Bonnyshire site per day, according to Barnes.
The county had its first completely open testing this weekend, with the help of the state, and swabbed nearly 1,400 people in about eight hours of operation between Saturday and Sunday.
The county’s lab has returned results for more than half of those tests taken at a different drive-thru and walk-up facility as of Monday afternoon, resulting in just four new cases of the virus.
Results for the outstanding swabs are expected by Wednesday.
Open testing will be available to the public again this Saturday and Sunday at the emissions testing facility on Riverfront Pkwy from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each day. The Bonnyshire Drive site, for weekday testing, is also normally an emissions testing facility.
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.