The Verdant Health Commission, City of Mountlake Terrace, and Medical Teams International will host free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Mountlake Terrace High School from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16. This is the final testing event of 2020 coordinated by Verdant and Medical Teams. Additional events are planned for 2021 and will be announced as details are finalized.
Pre-registration is not available for this testing. Signage will be posted to indicate wait times for participants in the vehicle line up. Testing is open to anyone in the community, however the goal is to ensure access for residents with barriers to testing in other locations. For instance, while this is a drive-thru event, community members without a vehicle may walk in. For the safety of patients and staff, no more than 10 people will be able to be in line for walk-up at a time.
The high school, located at 21801 44th Ave. W, Mountlake Terrace, will have traffic flowing one-way around the school building, with vehicles entering from the southern driveway and ending up in the student parking lot at the front of the school for testing. Uniformed police officers will be present to direct traffic throughout the testing event. See map for details.
Please note that there will be families picking up meals at the high school from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and those families will enter and exit from the traffic light in front of the school with assistance from police directing traffic.
Reminder Before Testing
This testing event is intended to reduce barriers to testing, including symptom checks, insurance requirements, and access for people with transportation challenges.
- It is possible to have COVID-19 and not be symptomatic, which could result in unintentionally spreading the virus to others, so these events do not require symptom checks.
- This event is free to everyone, regardless of insurance coverage. If you have insurance, please bring your insurance card, as providing that information will preserve grant funds to cover the costs for those without insurance.
- While this is a drive-thru event, walk-ups will be served to support people traveling by bus or foot.
What to Expect During Testing
Medical Teams staff will register each person from their vehicle. For infection control purposes, clients will not touch the registration paperwork. Please bring your ID and health insurance cards if you have insurance.
Tests are sent to the University of Washington and results can easily be accessed online with a code that is provided at the testing site. Test results are available two to five days after the test, however results may be available in as soon as 24-48 hours.
The testing method used is anterior nasal swabbing, resulting in less discomfort than other methods. About 1 cm of the swab is inserted into one nostril at a time and rotated for about 10 seconds. The test is safe for anyone age 2 and older.
To learn more about these events, contact Jennifer Piplic, director of marketing and communication at Verdant: jennifer.piplic@verdanthealth.org or 425-582-8600. For information about additional testing opportunities available in Snohomish County, please visit https://www.snohd.org/503/Drive-Thru-Testing-Available-by-Appointm to learn more or make an appointment.
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