New drive-through coronavirus testing site opening in Fort Smith

FORT SMITH — A covid-19 drive-through testing site will open today in the parking lot of Fort Smith Park, 5301 Riverfront Drive.

The site, which is supported by Walmart, Quest Diagnostic, Arkansas, and the city, will test those exhibiting symptoms of covid-19 and all health care providers and first-responders, the city announced Monday.

Testing isn’t available in Walmart stores.

Weather permitting, the site is open Monday through Wednesday each week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The testing site will require an appointment through Quest’s MyQuest online portal and app, www.MyQuest COVIDTest.com, to screen and schedule appointments for people who meet medical eligibility for the testing sites.

Once on site, those being tested will have to stay in their vehicles for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. The test site is unavailable to those who walk up.

The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test allowing those being tested to swab their own nose while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the site.

Quest Diagnostics will process test samples and communicate results to those tested and applicable departments of health.

Those with questions regarding testing and appointments can call Quest’s dedicated covid-19 line at (866) 448-7719, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. central time.

The site will be staffed by volunteers, including Walmart health care professionals and Quest employees.

While those who are tested are awaiting results, residents are asked to follow federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in their home and community.