Free COVID-19 testing slated for Friday, Jan. 22 in Joplin

The City of Joplin and Jasper County Health Departments announce a community COVID-19 testing site will be offered on Friday, Jan. 22 at Access Family Care, 530 S. Maiden Lane in Joplin.

This community testing event is for Missouri residents and offered through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and their partners including the Missouri Primary Care Association and MAKO Medical.

Testing will be done from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day the Access Family Care location of 530 S. Maiden Lane. Missouri DHSS has announced the following details about the community tests.

Missouri residency is the only requirement; individuals do not have to live in the county in which they are tested, and they do not have to be experiencing symptoms. Any Missouri residents who wish to be tested with an anterior nasal swab to determine if they have an active COVID-19 infection can do so at no cost to the individual.

Missourians can register online for testing events at health.mo.gov/communitytest and continue to check back for future opportunities.

Please register for an event by clicking on the registration link associated with each event. If you need assistance, you may call 919-351-MAKO (6256). Please double-check the spelling of your name and your date of birth. This information must be exactly correct to receive your results.

Those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should seek testing at a community testing event or their nearest testing site. Those who have had significant contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 should also consider being tested.

Why should a healthy person consider being tested for COVID-19?

• To rule out the possibility that you have COVID-19 and don’t know it.
  Make sure that you are not an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Asymptomatic spreaders are a major reason containing this virus has been so challenging.
• To take action early if you do have COVID-19.
  If you are in the early stages of a COVID-19 infection, detecting it early allows you to quickly isolate, rest and recuperate, monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if needed.
• To spend time with friends and family–especially those at high risk.
  If you plan to spend a prolonged period of time with loved ones, especially older adults or those with underlying conditions, stay away from high risk activities for 10 days and then get tested.
• To help get the virus under control.
  Widespread testing among healthy people helps to stop the spread of COVID-19. Screening healthy people, staying on top of positive cases, identifying new outbreaks quickly, and being aware of how the virus spreads among people without symptoms, are powerful tools in our efforts to suppress the virus.

It is important to remember that a COVID-19 test is a one-time assessment, and will only show if you are infected at the time of the test. Everyday prevention measures, such as handwashing, physical distancing and mask-wearing should always be practiced, even after you have been tested.

To register for community testing events in Missouri, visit health.mo.gov/communitytest. 

Information about the City’s response and recovery related to COVID-19, as well as related announcements, can be found at www.joplinmo.org/coronavirus. For more details about coronavirus, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/ .