A temporary free drive-thru COVID-19 test site will open Wednesday in Arlington in the city's entertainment district near the stadiums.
Tarrant County Public Health said Tuesday "the testing site will be open for a three-week period in response to the rise of COVID-19 cases and the surge of omicron transmission, which is driving an increase in demand for testing countywide."
The site will operate seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 8, and will be located in Texas Rangers’ Sienna Lot M at 1205 Pennant Drive.
"A lot of testing capacity in the area. Let’s utilize it. If anybody feels that they have any symptoms do not ignore it. Yes it’s allergy, cold and flu season but do get your COVID tests done," said Vinny Taneja, Director of Tarrant County Public Health.
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To keep the line moving smoothly, Taneja does as that people seeking tests keep this in mind.
"I do recommend that people who are exposed or feeling symptoms, they should come first," he said.
The Sienna Lot is northwest of Choctaw Stadium, near the Nolan Ryan Expressway traffic circle, and can only be accessed by entering southbound on AT&T Way.
“The omicron variant has brought a pandemic high of illness that has triggered a demand for testing unlike anything we’ve seen in our journey with COVID thus far. We know testing is a critical tool in developing plans to mitigate the spread and the community is understandably concerned about appointment availability and wait times,” said Tarrant County Commissioner Devan Allen. “We have been working diligently to increase capacity throughout the county and I want to thank everyone who has helped stand up this new FEMA surge testing site near Choctaw Stadium so quickly.”
ABOUT THE DRIVE-THRU TEST SITE
- Testing is free and open to all ages. No insurance information will be collected.
- Each individual seeking a test is asked to pre-register online to provide contact information for results and to select an appointment time slot. Multiple people in the same vehicle can receive a test during the same time slot. A QR code will be provided for each person receiving a test and must be shown at the test site as appointment confirmation. On-site registration is possible, but pre-registration is highly recommended to reduce waiting times.
- Results will be available between 24 to 36 hours. To register, visit: ineedacovid19test.com and then select Texas and then Choctaw Stadium, Parking Lot M, 1205 Pennant Drive.
- The test is a self-collected shallow nasal swab test. Individuals will swab the inside of their noses with direction from on-site staff. Parents or legal guardians will need to swab small children. Anyone under 18 years of age will need a parent or guardian to register them online and their consent to receive testing.
The testing site is a partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Texas, Tarrant County and the City of Arlington.
Tarrant County and the City of Arlington thank the Texas Rangers for providing the parking lot for this temporary COVID-19 testing site.
Free COVID tests are also available at dozens of sites elsewhere in the Metroplex. See a list here.
