Coronavirus testing available across Arizona in 2nd of 3 Saturday blitzes
May 8, 2020, 2:15 PM
PHOENIX — Dozens of locations are jumping on board for Saturday’s second Arizona Testing Blitz, providing people who feel they’ve been exposed to or infected with the coronavirus to receive a test.
The program was announced last month with the plan to test 10,000-20,000 Arizonans for COVID-19 on each of the first three Saturdays in May.
Testing for coronavirus antibodies is not included in the program.
As of Friday, the state health department listed more than 50 sites that will conduct tests Saturday, over double the number from the first blitz.
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Maricopa County, the hardest-hit area in the state with 5,525 confirmed cases of the virus as of the report on Friday, has the most testing sites available with more than 30 locations.
One of these sites is State Farm Stadium in Glendale, home of the Arizona Cardinals, which will be conducting tests from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the orange parking lot for those who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus testing criteria.
People who wish to get tested at State Farm Stadium need an ID and medical insurance information.
As part of the #AZTestingBlitz, testing will be available to anyone who thinks they have been exposed to and could be infected with #COVID19. Testing criteria is set by each testing site. https://t.co/jrDRHAK9GR
— AZ Dept of Health (@AZDHS) May 7, 2020
Pre-registration is not required for the testing at State Farm Stadium.
However, many of the testing sites across the state require pre-registration of some kind whether online or by phone.
Arizona state health officials reported a new daily high in cases and deaths from the virus on Friday, as positive cases of the coronavirus reached 10,526 with 517 deaths.
“We know that rapidly identifying cases, conducting case follow-up, and performing contact tracing will help slow the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities,” Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona Department of Health Services director, said in a press release.
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“Success in these areas requires an increase in our testing capacity, and the Arizona Testing Blitz will help allow those who want to be tested, get tested,” she said.
The state reported Friday that 101,125 have been conducted, almost 30,000 more than were reported a week earlier.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, Arizona moved up to 46th among states in coronavirus testing per capita Thursday. Arizona was 50th on Wednesday.
