The New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the New Orleans Health Department announced they are expanding the criteria for testing patients at two Orleans parish drive-thru coronavirus testing sites.
Testing will be available daily to any individual with a fever and other symptoms. New Orleans sites will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily or until the daily cap of 100 tests has been reached.
Here are the locations for COVID-19 testing in Orleans Parish:
Mahalia Jackson Theater Parking Lot
1419 Basin Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena Parking Lot
6801 Franklin Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70148
When patients who want to be tested arrive at the testing site, they will be required to remain in their vehicles and provide identification and health insurance information. Health officials say everyone will be tested regardless of whether or not they have health insurance.
A third site is located at the Alario Center on the Westbank in Jefferson Parish. It is operated by the Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Department.
This morning, cars lined-up early at West Jefferson Medical Center's COVID-19 drive-thru testing site.
Anyone showing symptoms of the virus, such as trouble breathing, cough, and a fever of C-D-C limit of 100-point-four can be swabbed for the virus. But West-Jeff's Chief Medical Officer Doctor Robert Chugden says don't expect results to be immediate.
“The labs have fairly lengthy turn-around times for these tests and it can range anywhere from slightly over 24 hours to as much as 4 to 5 days depending on the lab we use,” said Dr. Chugden. “Most of the labs are doing the testing out of state. There are some labs that are literally opening up any day now, in the state, which will promise a much quicker turn around time.”
