Mega COVID-19 Testing Site Opens In Cobb County

COBB COUNTY, GA — The Georgia Department of Public Health — in partnership with DeKalb County Board of Health, Cobb and Douglas Public Health and Viral Solutions — has opened two COVID-19 mega testing sites, including one in Cobb County.

As COVID-19 cases surge in part due to the more-contagious omicron variant, the state DPH has opened a mega testing site at Jim Miller Park (Gate 1), 1295 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta on Friday. A second mega testing site is also open in DeKalb County.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sites close from 12:30-1 p.m. every day for lunch.

At these sites, you must have an appointment to be tested. To register online and make an appointment, log on at this link. COVID-19 testing is free to all Georgians, but insurance will be billed if it is available. Additional information about the test sites and driving directions can be found at viralsolutions.com.

The announcement of the mega testing site came just a few hours after the county announced it plans to distribute more than 60,000 COVID-19 self-test kits in the coming weeks, according to a news release. The goal is to target segments of the community where people have had difficulty accessing testing.

At Tuesday's virtual Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners will consider using the remaining Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds for the county manager's emergency purchase of self-test kits.

County leaders hope to get the test kits in time to hold a distribution event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is Jan. 17. County and public health officials are working with the Cobb County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter to finalize details for the event.

“We have the resources to be able to help many of our residents who have told us getting tested for COVID has been a challenge,” Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in the news release. “So it makes sense to use these federal relief funds to help distribute test kits to help contain the spread of COVID in Cobb. Cobb and Douglas Public Health officials tell me besides COVID there are other illnesses, including the flu, spreading in our community. It is important for those who have COVID to know it as soon as possible so they can take action to avoid spreading it to others.”

The Cobb County Emergency Management Agency will store the kits while a plan to distribute them in the county is finalized. According to the release, county officials hope to use events in each district, along with help from nonprofits, churches and other groups, to distribute the COVID-19 self-test kits.

Residents seeking a COVID-19 test, vaccination or information should visit cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com.

This article originally appeared on the Marietta Patch