COVID-19 testing events set for McCook, Imperial, Ogallala

Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) and the team at TestNebraska.com announce three COVID-19 testing events that are being held in southwest Nebraska in June. The free testing is open to all individuals from the nine-county health district and neighboring Nebraska county residents.

TestNebraska is a statewide COVID-19 testing initiative in partnership with state leaders and private corporations. The goal is to dramatically increase the rate of COVID-19 testing to help stem the spread of COVID-19 and determine how widespread COVID-19 is in Nebraska. There is no cost to be tested at these sites.

Residents interested in participating should complete the online survey at testnebraska.com/en or in Spanish at testnebraska.com/es. When the survey is completed within 6 days prior to the event, they will be given an option to schedule their appointment and given a QR code which can be saved on their mobile phone or printed. They will need to show this code at the test site, along with an ID and proof of current address.

Testing runs from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at each location.

Everyone who participates in the testing will be notified of their test results directly from TestNebraska. All information collected through TestNebraska.com is protected by HIPAA and all applicable state and federal law.

The state is opening up TestNebraska to the general population for all counties except Lancaster, Sarpy, and Douglas, which will still be prioritizing symptomatic individuals. SWNPHD residents who previously did not qualify through TestNebraska for testing are encouraged to complete the survey again if they are still interested in being tested for COVID-19.

Testing is available daily in southwest Nebraska through local clinics and hospitals. Individuals who are interested in being tested for COVID-19 are encouraged to call their medical provider for screening, especially if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, chills or shaking, muscle pain, headache, or new loss of taste or smell.

For more information on COVID-19 in southwest Nebraska, visit www.swhealth.ne.gov. You can also follow SWNPHD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins, and Red Willow counties. SWNPHD is located at 404 West 10th St (1 block north of Arby’s) in McCook.