No symptoms required for COVID-19 tests in Wyandotte County. Here’s who can get one
People living or working in Wyandotte County who want to be tested for COVID-19 can do so for free even if they don’t have symptoms or have not been exposed to the coronavirus, health officials announced Friday.
Previously, testing was limited to people with symptoms or people who had been exposed to the virus. The new testing eligibility goes into effect Monday.
“We’ve seen our county’s testing numbers going down, but we still are one of the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 in the metro,” Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department said in a release. “This is a major step forward in our ability to test more members of our Wyandotte County community and get a clearer picture of where and how the virus is spreading.”
Because people can still be infectious despite not having symptoms or their symptoms haven’t started, the additional testing is hoped to help curb the spread of the virus.
The health department is collaborating with Vibrant Health, Swope Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equality Task Force to adjust the testing eligibility.
“The only way to prevent transmission of COVID-19 is by separating people who are infected from those who are not,” said Dr. Jennifer Frost, Interim Chief Medical Officer with Swope Health. “Because many people with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms, we need to expand testing to the asymptomatic population.”
People who live or work in Wyandotte County can get tested for COVID-19 at the health department at 619 Anne Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.
Pop-up testing sites, coordinated by Vibrant Health, Swope Health, and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force, have been scheduled for:
- 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 19 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at Faith Deliverance Family Worship Center, 3043 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
- 8 to 11 a.m. Sept. 21 and 28 at Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.
- 8 to 11 a.m. Sept. 22 at All Saints Parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 23 and 30 at Judson Baptist Church, 8300 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Vibrant Health’s Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.
- 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 26 at La Fe en Jesucristo, 1500 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
As of Friday, Wyandotte County has reported 6,508 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 133 deaths.
