FREE COVID community testing event to take place in Walsenburg, Sept. 28-30 for Las Animas and Huerfano County Residents
Testing to run from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the Walsenburg train depot, 400 Main St. Walsenburg, Colo.
Trinidad, Colo. (Sept. 26, 2020): Las Animas Huerfano Counties District Health Department, with the help of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will hold a FREE COVID drive-through testing event, Sept. 28-30 in Walsenburg. The testing site will be at the Walsenburg train depot, 400 Main. St. and will run from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
“Las Animas and Huerfano counties are seeing an increase in case positivity number since Labor Day, and testing is the only way to find out if you’ve been infected and how we can best respond as a community,” said Kim Gonzales, executive director of Las Animas and Huerfano County Health Department. “We all need to err on the side of caution to stay healthy and protect one another.”
The state is encouraging all Coloradans who need or want to get a COVID-19 test to go to any of the many community testing sites and events like these located throughout the state. There are no identification or insurance requirements, and the tests are free.
There are more than 50 free community testing sites across the state, as well as dozens of locations offered by private providers. The state’s website has a list of locations.
People with symptoms should always get tested immediately. Symptoms include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
At the request of some local partners, the CDPHE is transitioning toward mobile test sites and pop-up community testing events in certain communities to ensure everyone has access to tests. The state will continue to work with local partners to meet community testing needs in a manner that best serves their residents. As CDPHE aims to bring more accessible testing sites to communities in Colorado, we hope to have more community testing events like this one in the future. Anyone who gets tested because of symptoms or because of a possible exposure should be in isolation/quarantine while waiting for the test result. All individuals who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should quarantine and limit their exposure to others for a full 14 days, even if they have testing done and that testing is negative. While testing is an important tool in the COVID-19 response, the state cautions that a negative test doesn’t mean it’s ok to meet in large gatherings or ignore other public health orders, like wearing a mask. All Coloradans need to mask up, physically distance, avoid large gatherings, and stay home while sick. Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.