Geaux get tested: Free COVID-19 testing sites coming to St. John & St. James

Published 12:05 am Saturday, September 26, 2020

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LAPLACE β€” Free COVID-19 self-swabbing tests are being offered in St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes through a community service partnership between the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana National Guard.

Testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2 at the St. John the Baptist Parish Community Center, located at 2900 U.S. 51 in LaPlace.

This complimentary service is offered to residents ages 5 and up. This will be a walk-up service, and no ID or insurance cards are necessary. However, contact information in the form of a telephone number and an email address is required to deliver results.

Results will be made available within three to five days via email. If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, he or she will also be notified via a phone call. Please be aware that there will not be a designated phone number to call for results. Test results will be posted in the eTrueNorth patient portal. Registration for the eTrueNorth portal is available at www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com.

Participants can save time by pre-registering at DoINeedaCovid19Test.com. Please choose β€œSt. John the Baptist Community Center,” select a date and time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and bring the printed voucher to the testing site.

Free COVID-19 testing will also be offered at two sites in St. James Parish. Testing is available at the St. James Parish Reception Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 through Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the St. James Parish Reception Hall, located at 2455 Highway 18 in Vacherie.

COVID-19 testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 through Friday, Oct. 9 at the St. James Parish Welcome Center, located at 1094 Highway 61 in Gramercy.

As with the LaPlace site, pre-registration for the St. James Parish sites is available at DoINeedaCovid19Test.com.

A representative from the Region 3 Office of Public Health said these self-administered COVID-19 tests are right-inside-the-nose swabs, not deep nasal swabs.

Individuals who have symptoms for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should stay home except to get medical care and separate themselves from other people as much as possible to prevent spreading the disease to others.

Those who test positive for COVID-19 and those who were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by contact tracers calling from 877-766-2130. During that call, individuals will be connected to resources to help them safely self-isolate.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus or coronavirus.la.gov.