The Hamilton County Health Department will begin providing free COVID-19 testing again for adults while supplies last as the continued surge of coronavirus cases strains Chattanooga's limited testing capacity and residents struggle to find timely, cost-effective options - an issue not seen since the early days of the pandemic.
Starting Monday, free testing through the health department will be available at the Riverpark vaccination site off Amnicola Highway. Unlike the department's former COVID-19 testing operation, testing at the Riverpark will be self-administered and is only available for individuals 18 years and older.
Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said during a news briefing Friday that the number of people calling the department's hotline in need of COVID-19 testing has risen dramatically, and the department no longer has access to the resources that allowed it to offer the same large-scale community testing as earlier in the pandemic.
In the past two weeks, Hamilton County has experienced a 115% jump in new COVID-19 cases compared to the two weeks prior, and younger, unvaccinated individuals continue to account for a large portion of new cases, Barnes said.
Hamilton County reported 11 deaths related to COVID-19 in the past week, the most deadly week since February as the delta variant brings mounting infections in a community with significant pockets of resistance to masks and vaccinations that would slow the spread. Some 44% of Hamilton County residents are fully vaccinated, compared to 51% nationwide.
Identifying infections remains critical to the pandemic response, but most of the county's free and convenient COVID-19 testing options ended as new needs - such as vaccinations - arose and demand dwindled along with declining cases in the spring and early summer.
Though many retail pharmacies now sell at-home, rapid test kits, the cost can be prohibitive. Many other testing sites are now by appointment only, and given the high demand, wait times can be several days.
The limited number of new test kits were provided through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health, and Barnes said the advantage of these tests is that they're self-administered and therefore require less work from the department.
"We have tasked our staff with vaccinating and then we have increased burden of contact tracing, data, so it's just juggling resources, and this was a much less resource-intensive option," Barnes said, adding that the department is exploring additional options to expand testing, including for younger age groups.
Self-administered testing at the Riverpark site will be available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The health department will post on its website and social media accounts once supplies run out and testing through the program is no longer available, so it's recommended that people check online or call the department's hotline before arriving.
Those seeking a test will enter through the Tennessee Riverpark's vaccine entrance, on the same side of the road as Chattanooga State Community College, and park in the first parking lot on the right before the bridge. Signs and staff will direct people to the correct location, according to a news release from the health department.
Staff will be on-site to assist with registration, review the instructions and then individuals will acquire and package the sample themselves in their car. Test seekers will need a smartphone and current email address to create an account and receive results within 24-48 hours online.
Registration is also available in Spanish, and interpreters will be available.
Health department staff will ship completed tests to the Everlywell lab at the end of each day.
More information about the Everlywell test and an instructional video are available on the health department's testing website, which also lists the handful of community partners that continue to offer free COVID-19 testing in Hamilton County. Pattern Medical Clinic in Ooltewah was recently added to the list.
The health department's COVID-19 hotline, 423-209-8383, is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, for questions about testing and vaccines.
Contact Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or 615-757-6673. Follow her on Twitter @ecfite.