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Harris Co. COVID-19 surge testing sites aim for faster results, more capacity

Published  August 5, 2020 9:04am CDT
Coronavirus
FOX 26 Houston

2 Harris Co. COVID-19 testing sites promise faster results

Two Harris County COVID-19 testing locations will transition to surge testing sites, aiming to increase testing capacity and faster lab turnaround times.

HOUSTON - Harris County officials say two COVID-19 testing sites are transition to surge testing sites, aiming to increase testing capacity and faster lab turnaround.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, both of Harris County Public Health’s Ken Pridgeon Stadium and San Jacinto College Central Campus locations will transition to surge testing sites.

The transition will be temporary and last roughly two weeks, or until 30,000 testing samples are reached.

The locations will begin to operate as surge testing sites on August 6. They will operate Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In addition, evening testing will occur from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the Pridgeon location and every Thursday at the San Jacinto location.

Testing capacity at each of the surge testing location will increase from 750 tests per day to 1,250. Residents should receive their results in three to five days.

Surge testing provides additional temporary federal support to areas around the county that have seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases. Officials say these surge sites rely on a separate network of labs for processing and will help clear the backlog of tests causing delays.

“Surge testing in Harris County marks an important milestone in our efforts to mitigate COVID-19 locally and we are grateful to our federal and state partners for this opportunity.” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, HCPH Executive Director. “It is vital that our residents have access to free testing, but this partnership also helps address the need of increasing our testing capacity and residents getting their results faster

Testing at the surge locations is available to individuals ages five years and older – including those experiencing symptoms, those who believe they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and anyone who is worried about possibly having the virus.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR SURGE TESTING

Residents can pre-register for surge testing beginning August 5.

Anyone can sign up for testing at one of the surge locations directly through doineedacovid19test.com.  

Residents who sign up for testing online will need to create a profile, take the brief online assessment and select the site location and time.

You can confirm the appointment and make sure to bring your test voucher ID number with you. Your voucher ID number is required for testing site or else you will not receive testing. Additionally, the testing voucher is only valid for the date of your test and cannot be used on a separate date.

In addition to the surge testing sites, HCPH will continue to offer COVID-19 testing at four mobile locations rotating throughout Harris County precincts. Each mobile unit has the ability to test 200 residents per day with a two- to four-day turnaround time for results. To sign up for testing, residents can call 832-927-7575 or sign up via www.covidcheck.hctx.net/.