The Catoosa County News

Health Department offering free drive-up COVID-19 testing

- From Georgia DPH COVID-19 TESTING SITES

Free COVID-19 testing is available to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. The Catoosa County Health Department, 145 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, is offering free driveup COVID-19 testing from 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Anyone wanting to be tested should go to the health department, remain in their vehicle, call 706-406-2000, and say they want to be tested for COVID-19. A nurse will come to the vehicle, obtain contact informatio­n for follow-up, and collect the specimen needed for testing. Test results will be reported just as soon as available.

“We encourage everyone to get tested for COVID-19 infection to determine who is currently ill and contagious,” says Dr.

The Northwest Health District is conducting free COVID-19 testing at health department­s or other sites in Bartow,

Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, and Walker counties. For the locations of all Georgia COVID-19 testing sites, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/ covid-19-testing-site. For contact informatio­n for these sites, go to https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-testingdir­ect-patient-lines.

Gary Voccio, health director for the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District. “This helps us identify people who might transmit the virus. We can then isolate them to prevent

transmissi­on, ensure they’re cared for, identify and interview their close contacts, and quarantine and monitor these individual­s as necessary to slow the spread of the virus.”

 ??  ?? Dr. Gary Voccio
Dr. Gary Voccio

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