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COVID-19
Two COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites are opening today in the Walmart parking lots located at 3875 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood and 250 Furniture Dr. Cornelia. The sites are supported by Walmart, eTrueNorth and state and local officials to test anyone who meets CDC and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19 and those in high risk groups without symptoms.
As of Thursday afternoon, Habersham County recorded 400 positive cases and 15 deaths. The Department of Public Health previously reported 16 deaths but has reclassified a deceased patient as a resident of another county.
Georgia had 35,858 cases as of Thursday morning with 1,527 deaths.
Those interested in being tested need to visit www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com to see if eligible for testing and to make an appointment. For Habersham County, click on the Georgia tab and locate the Cornelia Walmart.
“Walmart is part of the community, and we are proud to help support the expansion of COVID-19 testing in Oakwood and Cornelia during this unprecedented time,” said Glen Wilkins, Walmart Public Affairs Director for Georgia. “We are grateful to our associates who keep our stores running, our pharmacists who support these testing sites, and to eTrueNorth and local officials as we work together to open the site and help our community.”
Details on the COVID-19 testing sites:
• Beginning today, the sites are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays weekly from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., weather permitting.
• Appointments must be made through eTrueNorth’s online portal at www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com, which will screen individuals to ensure they meet CDC eligibility for testing.
• For questions about testing, call 800-635-8611.
• Those being tested will need to wear as mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test sites are not available to those who walk up.
• The sites will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and then dropped in the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-through sites.
• eTrueNorth will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable Departments of Health.
• The sites will be staffed by Walmart healthcare professionals.
• Testing is not available inside Walmart stores.
• While individuals who are tested are awaiting results, please follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in your home and community.
– Staff Reports