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Two new loose COVID-19 verification sites are opening in South Seattle as the city seeks to increase the accessibility of checks and wait times elsewhere.
Places to drive will be at Auburn (2701 C Street SW) and Renton (805 SW 10th Ave.) The Auburn site opens on Tuesday, while the Renton Test Center is scheduled to open to the public on September 8.Renton’s online page starts on September 5.
It is estimated that the new sites will increase King County’s ability to test up to 1,500 per day, and the virus test will be free, have health insurance or not.
Site placement occurs when the city addresses verification equity issues, as knowledge shows that the zip codes of southern King County are the most affected through COVID-19.SeattlePI research found that the low-income neighborhoods and towns in Puget Sound are consistent with cases consistent with 100,000 citizens the pandemic.
“Closing gaps in access to testing has been a more sensible public fitness priority, as we continue to see the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on communities of color and those living in southern King County,” said Patty Hayes, director of public health: Seattle and King County.
While a new report has revealed that instances of the new coronavirus are stalling in King County, public fitness officials still recommend caution, especially due to flu season techniques. The symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza are similar, so sites expect to check more people while practicing the fall.
“By listening to our network and observing the racial inequalities of COVID-19, we know where the desires for detection are greatest and it is critical to bring testing to others in southern King County,” said Matas Valenzuela, Director of Capital Public Health.
Another new check opened in West Seattle last week at the Chief Sealth High School sports complex.
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