Banner Health rolling out drive-thru coronavirus sampling in Arizona
Mar 23, 2020, 8:35 AM | Updated: 12:04 pm
PHOENIX – Banner Health announced Monday it is rolling out drive-thru locations in Arizona to take samples for coronavirus testing.
Anybody who thinks they are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can call Banner at 844-549-1851 for a screening with a medical professional.
People who meet the criteria for testing set by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention can be scheduled for an appointment at one of four drive-thru locations, three in metro Phoenix and one in Tucson.
The sites will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays.
RELATED STORIES
Patients must go through screening and be scheduled before they can get testing done.
At the drive-thru site, they must fill out paperwork and agree to self-isolation until their results are in. Then a specimen will be collected with a swab in the nose.
Patients will remain in their car throughout the process, which Banner says will take 5-20 minutes.
The specimens will be sent to Sonora Quest Laboratories to be tested, with results expected in 3-5 days.
Positive tests will be reported to state and county health officials, who will tell patients what they should do next.
Banner said it is planning to open additional drive-thru sites.
