The state COVID-19 check at the Columbus AirPark will be transferred to the former JC Penney store at FairOaks Mall starting Monday after the local government reached an agreement with a state contractor to operate there.
The city of Columbus announced Thursday that FairOaks Community Development Corp., which oversees the mall, signed an agreement earlier this week with state contractor Optum to move the existing check to 2160 Arnold Street to the mall’s assets until at least the end of next month.
City officials said the checkpoint moved to the mall because the mall property is more central and the existing checkpoint near Columbus Municipal Airport does not have air conditioning. The city of Columbus and Columbus Regional Health are joint owners of the mall property.
“The city and HRC is a valuable service for the network and they need to provide secure and available access to COVID-19 testing,” city officials said in a statement.
City officials are not involved about the proximity of the check to mall restaurants and stores, said Mary Ferdon, executive director of management and progression of the Columbus city network.
People arriving at the mall to verify will be asked to enter and exit the verification facility through the outside front of the old store on the south side of the mall property, city officials said.
“There will be no exit or entrance through the mall itself,” Ferdon said. “… Optum staff is constantly cleaning and (the site) will be cleaned every night.”
William Broaddus, co-owner of Lucas Brothers Sandwhich Shop, which operates inside the mall and for dinner and orders, said he was not “so concerned” about being located near a status quo where others suspect they have a COVID-19. are being screened for the virus.
“I’m not involved at all about (the verification site), Broaddus said. «… I’m sure they’ll probably get them in and out of the outside anyway. That would be my hope anyway.
Representatives of Dunham’s Sports and Mexican restaurant Riviera Maya declined to comment.
In May, the state agreed to a $17.9 million contract with Optum to operate COVID-19 verification sites, which officials expected to be covered through federal grants, the Associated Press reported.
Optum expected to have 50 verification sites operating in Indiana by the end of May, but only 35 verification sites were open last month.
About 35 Optum sites were indexed thursday in the Indiana State Department of Health’s site manager.
Call 888-634-1116 or lhi.care/covidtesting to log in and schedule a COVID-19 test.
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