Tennessee will now offer free testing for the coronavirus for all of its residents, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced on Wednesday. Testing will be available even to those without “traditional symptoms.”
“As we look to reboot our state’s economy, we must have a greater understanding of how this virus is operating in Tennessee,” Lee said in a statement. “Expanding our COVID-19 testing capacity allows more Tennesseans to have improved access to testing which will empower citizens to make informed health decisions.”
The testing will be available at pop-up sites over the next few upcoming weekends, starting with April 18-19. The testing will also be available April 25-26 and May 2-3. Sites will be open throughout the day, with many opening at 9 a.m.
“Our clinical understanding of COVID-19 is changing rapidly and we need every Tennessean who isn’t feeling well, even outside of the traditional COVID-19 symptoms of cough, fever or difficulty breathing, to come out and get tested,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey in a statement.
Testing will be completed by Tennessee Department of Health Nurses and Tennessee National Guard medics. Results are expected to be delivered to participants within 72 hours of testing, the governor said.
“Until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, quickly detecting this illness, isolating if ill and practicing social distancing are the most powerful tools we have to stop the spread and help our state return to work,” Piercey said. “I encourage every Tennessean to remember: ‘when in doubt, get a test’ as we work to identify COVID-19 cases and keep our neighbors safe.”
Tennessee has more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The death toll in the state is 135.
Find the whole list of testing sites here.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
