ABERDEEN, Wash. — Health care workers in hazmat suits are scattered throughout the parking lot at Grays Harbor County’s newest COVID-19 testing site.
"I think we’re at the most optimal safety position we can be in,” said Leonard Johnson, Grays Harbor County Incident Management Team incident commander.
There have been 12 confirmed coronavirus cases in Grays Harbor County.
Up until this week, tests were taken at local hospitals, which may have kept some sick patients away. The county also had a tough time getting kits, masks and gloves.
"It has been a struggle, it has been something that we have been working on together, but we’re kind of starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel on the PPE,” said Hannah Cleverly, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management deputy director.
Now, they have more than 500 COVID-19 test kits and plenty of space.
At the drive-thru site they can test 70 to 80 people a day.
The site at Grays Harbor College opened Wednesday. They've tested 45 people in two days.
"People can move through pretty rapidly and once they go into the far testing location on the other side of these tents, it takes them an average of about four to five minutes to move them through that process,” said Johnson.
The only time you come into contact with anyone is when you're handed a test kit you swab yourself.
"They can give them instructions on how to use it, they can swab themselves and they can hand the sample back out to the person so they can contain it and then get it over and get it properly packaged safe,” said Johnson.
Tests get sent to the public health lab in Shoreline every evening. Results can be ready in two days.
The health department is encouraging anyone with coronavirus symptoms to set up an appointment, stop by and take a test.
"They just simply need to call 360-964-1850 and that will get them into our triage line,” said Johnson.
The drive-through test site will be open from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. every day through Wednesday. It could stay open longer if they’re able to get more kits and there’s still a need.
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