CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Following hundreds of COVID-19 tests done by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department last week, hundreds more are scheduled this week.
The health department (KCHD) opened up its first mobile testing site of the week Tuesday morning at Elkview Baptist Church running until 2 p.m. at 1150 Main Street. Dr. Sherri Young, the executive director of the department told 580-WCHS they had 28 people scheduled.
Young said it opens up a busy week ahead.
“Wednesday we are testing Kanawha Place Assisted Living Facility, we will be going on-site there. Thursday we have drive-thru testing at First Baptist Church at Shrewsbury and we will be sharing the parking lot behind the Ramada just so we can get all our equipment in there,” she said.
The information for the Thursday testing is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on 432 Shrewsbury Street in Charleston. To call and make an appointment at the public events, call the KCHD hotline at 304-348-1088.
Testing events in Kanawha County through the state with National Guard will also be held on Friday and Saturday. Young said the locations and time will be announced in the coming days.
“My piece in this and my team’s piece is to make sure people are safe going back to work and they are doing the social distancing, continuing the message of wash your hands, make sure you’re healthy and don’t go to work if you’re sick,” Young said.
365 people were tested at the public sites last week in Kanawha County including 213 at Institute. The KCHD also tested dozens of employees at the Metro 911 and continued testing at the KCHD.
While Young said she would like to see more face coverings out in public as the economy reopens, she is happy with the community’s response.
“Driving through the West Side the other day and I saw people waiting to get into a hardware store, standing six feet apart. I was very proud. It seems to me from what I see is that people are following the guidelines and I am very proud of that,” she said.