Free Drive-Thru Coronavirus Testing Event To Be Held In Stafford

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — The Rappahannock Area Health District is holding a drive-thru coronavirus testing event on Tuesday, July 7 in the parking lot located near the intersection of Hospital Center Boulevard and Courthouse Road in Stafford County. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with 400 coronavirus tests available.

Testing will be available at no cost to participants, and no prescription or health insurance information is required. People must be over the age of 16 to receive a test. Participants do not have to have symptoms to be tested at this event. The test administered will be the nasal swab that diagnoses active cases of the virus. Antibody testing will not be available at this event.

Signs will direct the public to the drive-thru testing event. People seeking a test should be seated near a window of the vehicle. All attendees should wear a cloth face covering.

RAHD is conducting the event in partnership with the Stafford County Fire and Rescue, the Virginia National Guard and Mary Washington Healthcare.

"Part of learning to live with this virus includes high rates of testing among community members, which in turn allows us to initiate case investigation and contact tracing to slow the spread of the disease," RAHD Interim Health Director Dr. Don Stern said Thursday in a statement.

On Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health reported 10 new coronavirus cases in Stafford, increasing the cumulative number of cases in the county since the crisis began to 1,000. The county also has reported five deaths from COVID-19, the disease that people contract from the coronavirus.

Residents who want to get tested can register in advance by completing a form. Day-of registrations will also be accepted.