Baton Rouge, La. (May 22, 2020) — Beginning next week on Tuesday, residents of St. Tammany, Washington, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes will have more local options for COVID-19 testing. In partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health and local parish governments, Louisiana National Guard will be operating mobile testing sites will make it more convenient for Northshore residents to get a test.
Mobile testing uses trucks and equipment operated by the Louisiana National Guard to bring testing kits to neighborhood locations such as schools, churches, retail stores, parks and other local neighborhood locations.
Dr. Gina Lagarde, the Office of Public Health regional medical director for the five-parish region, said, “This partnership greatly increases testing opportunity for residents, especially in the rural and unincorporated areas of these parishes.”
“Several hospitals and other community testing sites in our region have offered COVID-19 tests that have helped us to understand the prevalence of the coronavirus in our region,” Dr. Lagarde said. “We are now working to increase the number of test sites, to bring the sites closer to where people live, shop and visit during a typical day, and serve those communities that have may have been under served or could not access a central test site.”
Starting Tuesday, May 26, the mobile testing units and Louisiana National Guard testing personnel will visit different sites in St. Tammany, Washington, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes. Testing will last for four weeks, through June 19, 2020.
Testing Dates and Sites
WASHINGTON PARISH WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
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Franklinton Primary School
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TANGIPAHOA PARISH WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
LIVINGSTON PARISH WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
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L.M. Lockhart/West Livingston
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320 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
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Walmart Neighborhood Market
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St. Joseph Catholic Church
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ST. HELENA PARISH WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
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Apostilic Assembly Temple
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ST. TAMMANY PARISH WEEK 1 - WEEK 4
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3101 East Causeway Approach
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3101 East Causeway Approach
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Premier Center (Tentative)
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LA 190 and North Causeway Blvd.
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Monday
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6/8/2020
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Madisonville
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St. Tammany
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Ball Park
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1007 Pine St.
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Tuesday
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6/8/2020
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Madisonville
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St. Tammany
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Ball Park
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1007 Pine St.
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Wednesday
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6/10/2020
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Madisonville
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St. Tammany
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Coquille Recreation Center (Tentative)
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13505 LA 1085
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Thursday
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6/11/2020
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Folsom
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St. Tammany
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Fendlason Community Center
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13296 LA 40
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Friday
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6/12/2020
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Float
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St. Tammany
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Monday
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6/15/2020
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Covington
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St. Tammany
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Pinnacle Mall (Tentative)
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7205 Pinnacle Parkway
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Tuesday
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6/16/2020
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Covington
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St. Tammany
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Planet Fitness (Tentative)
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401 N. LA 190
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Wednesday
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6/17/2020
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Covington
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St. Tammany
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Fair Ground
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1301 N. Columbia St.
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Thursday
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6/18/2020
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Abita Springs
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St. Tammany
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Recreation Center
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22517 LA 36
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Friday
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6/19/2020
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Abita Springs
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St. Tammany
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Recreation Center
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22517 LA 36
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“The Louisiana National Guard proudly partners with the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health and local parish leaders to help support the expansion of COVID-19 testing in Louisiana to better serve the community and Protect What Matters," said Brig. Gen. Cindy H. Haygood, the Guard’s assistant adjutant general. "With our public health partners and support of local parish leadership, we have the equipment and the medical personnel to bring testing to the communities where people live.”
Test site details
- The sites, which will be staffed by members of the Louisiana National Guard, are open for a period of five days per week. Because of the Memorial Day holiday, the first week will start Tuesday, May 26 and run through Saturday, May 30. Thereafter, the schedule starting June 1 will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m.
- Testing is for open for any Louisiana resident 18 years of age and older with valid Louisiana identification.
- The testing site will be conducted as a drive-thru test site.
- Once on site, those being tested will need to wear a mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. Walk-up testing is not preferred due to safety concerns, but walk-ups will not be turned away.
- The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose on site while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
- Once received, the Office of Public Health will contact those who were tested to communicate their results and share any necessary information.
- While awaiting results, individuals who have been tested should follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in their home and community.
Contact tracing underway
Dr. Lagarde added that contact tracing is also underway throughout the region. “Contact tracing can help us quickly identify and contain spread of the virus,” she added. “Everyone can help protect themselves, their families and the community by talking openly with the contact tracer if called. The call is private and your information will not be shared with other people.”
Contact tracing is crucial as Louisiana eases restrictions on businesses and activities. Contact tracing works as follows: When someone tests positive, a contact tracer will try to call everyone who came in close contact with the COVID-positive person. Everyone called by a contact tracer is advised to watch themselves for signs of illness for 14 days from when they first came in contact with the COVID-19 person.
All contact tracers will call from 877-766-2130. If someone calls from a number other than 877-766-2130, claims to be a contact tracer and asks for personal information, hang up immediately.
