Pierce County Hosting Free Coronavirus Mobile Testing This Month

PUYALLUP, WA — Washington is in the midst of the biggest surge of COVID-19 cases yet, so the need for testing has also been on the rise.

To help make sure that COVID-19 testing is readily available, the county has announced dozens of mobile testing events that they'll be hosting through the month of December. They are encouraging anyone to come on down and get tested if they:

• Are experiencing coronavirus symptoms like fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue or loss of taste or smell.

• Were exposed to COVID-19 by another person or recently attended a large gathering.

• Are part of an at-risk community, which includes Alaska Native, American Indian, Black, Latinx, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islands ethnicities.

Those who have not been exposed and are not at risk may want to avoid getting the test. The state recently saw a surge in coronavirus so large that they were forced to change how they log their testing data. The surge was driven largely by people who wanted to test negative, so they could travel for the holidays. Generally, the state health department says that's a bad idea, and that even if you test negative for the virus you still should not be traveling for the holidays this year. That said, the county says they will give a test to anyone who wants one.

Before receiving a test, the county also asks that residents print and fill out two forms. The first, found here, will allow patients to be contacted with their test results. The second, here, is for the lab test. Please note that test result can take five to seven days before they are available. Anyone who was tested and doesn't get their results within a week should call (833) 723-0490.

Here's a look at all the currently-announced testing events from Pierce County:
(All listed events run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Pierce County has consistently been hosting testing events like these through the pandemic, it's likely that more will be announced as the month goes on. You can learn more about the county's free COVID-19 mobile testing program from the county's website.

This article originally appeared on the Puyallup Patch