Residents of Copiah, Marshall, Kemper, Madison, Jones and Winston counties and surrounding communities can be tested for COVID-19 next week as the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State Department of Health continue efforts to stem virus transmission by setting up one-day, drive-through collection sites.
Anyone can be tested who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (including fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat) or who has a known or potential exposure to someone confirmed with the virus.
Mississippians who want to be tested must first complete a free screening from a UMMC clinician through an online questionnaire found at umc.edu/covidscreening https://covidschedule.umc.edu/.
Or, they can call the UMMC Center for Telehealth at (601) 496-7200 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Anyone determined to need testing will be given an appointment date and time at the testing site most convenient.
Appointment-only testing has been offered since a daily testing site was established March 24 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson. On June 1, that testing operation moved to the West Street Farmers Market at Woodrow Wilson Avenue in Jackson. One-day sample collections are being offered at selected sites statewide.
Testing hours at the West Street Farmers Market are 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. daily except Sunday. Testing hours at one-day sites are noon-4 p.m.
The newest testing sites for Saturday, July 11 include Jones County at the Shady Grove Community Center, 4524 Highway 15 North, Laurel.
Thousands of people in Mississippi communities have taken advantage of the UMMC/MSDH drive-through collection sites. Those numbers include, as of the end of the day July 1, a total 5,780 people at 127 one-day testing sites statewide, plus another 9,831 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds and West Street Farmers Market, for a total of 15,611 tested.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi National Guard are partnering with UMMC and MSDH to coordinate mobile testing sites.
During drive-through testing, health care professionals will collect specimen samples via a nose swab. Those being tested will not exit their vehicle.