State offering free COVID tests today at Covington fairgrounds

(Stock photo)

By STPH Communication Department

The Louisiana Department of Health will operate a mobile COVID-19 testing site at the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington today (Friday, July 17), parish government has announced.

The site, which will be operated in partnership with the state Office of Public Health and the Louisiana National Guard, will operate from 8 a.m. to noon.

Tests will be free, but they will also be self-administered by testing subjects under the observation of a trained medical volunteer.

COVID-19 testing typically consists of insertion of a nasopharyngeal swab – which are about six inches long -- into the nasal cavity to collect a sample. You can see instructions on how properly to conduct a nasopharyngeal swab at the New England Journal of Medicine’s website.

To be tested at the fairgrounds site, a person must be at least 18 years old and have a valid Louisiana-issued ID. For safety reasons, subjects are asked to wear a mask and remain in their vehicle for the duration of the test.

For more, visit the St. Tammany Parish government website.

St. Tammany Health System continues to operate its daily COVID testing site, which it has operated since March but which will relocate Monday (July 20) from St. Ann Drive in Mandeville to 4410 Highway 22. It will operate Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for patients with doctor's orders only. Find details at STPH.org.