West Nova News

Loudoun County issued the following announcement on Jan. 27.

Loudoun County will hold twice-weekly, free drive-thru COVID-19  testing events at multiple locations beginning in February. Unlike past  testing events hosted by Loudoun County, these weekly, fixed events will  not be mass testing sites and instead are intended to provide regular,  predictable testing opportunities for the community. As a result,  capacity at these fixed testing sites will be limited. 

“While  mass testing is an important part of our COVID-19 prevention strategy  because we could efficiently test 1,000 to 2,000 people per day, they  were sporadic,” said Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David  Goodfriend. “These more frequent, but smaller testing events will  accommodate a few hundred people per day, but the frequency provides  residents with greater flexibility when the need for a COVID-19 test  arises.”

February COVID-19 Testing Schedule

The events will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• February 2 and 4: Franklin Park, 17501 Franklin Park Drive, Purcellville
• February 9 and 11: Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park, 42405 Claudia Drive, Leesburg (Enter the park on Crosstrail Boulevard from Sycolin Road.)
• February 16 and 18: Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls (Access the testing location in the back parking lot, near the senior center.) 
• February 23 and 25: Dulles South Recreation & Community Center, 24950 Riding Center Drive, South Riding

The  testing events are open to all. There are no age or residency  requirements. No prescriptions or appointments are necessary. A person  does not have to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. A  PCR test (nasal swab) will be administered, which tests for the novel  coronavirus. No antibody or rapid tests will be offered. No COVID-19 vaccine will be available at these events.

Registration Form

To  help reduce wait times, people who plan to attend the testing events  are strongly encouraged to complete a registration form for each person  who will be receiving a test prior to arriving at the testing site. The  registration form is required and asks for general demographics and  contact information, including name, date of birth, address, phone  number and current symptoms, if any. 

• Registration Form: English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

The  fillable form may be downloaded, filled out, printed and completed  forms should be brought with you to the testing site. Forms will also be  available at the testing site for individuals who do not have access to  a printer or otherwise are unable to complete the forms in advance. 

Future Testing Events

Loudoun  County expects to continue hosting COVID-19 testing events on an  ongoing basis as long as a need for COVID-19 testing exists in the  community. Residents are encouraged to visit the county’s website  regularly to review the schedule and to access registration forms: loudoun.gov/COVID19testing.

• Find other COVID-19 testing sites in the region.

When to Get Tested

The  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people to  get tested for COVID-19 under the following circumstances:

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• People  who have taken part in activities that put them at higher risk for  COVID-19 because they cannot socially distance as needed, such as  travel, attending large social or mass gatherings or being in crowded  indoor settings.
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their health care provider.

The CDC recommends that people who are tested self-quarantine/isolate at home pending test  results and follow the advice of their health care provider or a public  health professional.

• Learn more about COVID-19 testing.

Stay Informed about COVID-19

Loudoun County encourages residents to stay informed about COVID-19.

• Visit loudoun.gov/coronavirus for more information about how to protect yourself and your family and to sign up for email and text updates on COVID-19.
• Opt in to receive text messages:
  • English: Text LCCOVID19 to 888777
  • Spanish: Text LCCOVIDESP to 88877

Residents  with questions about COVID-19 may call the Loudoun County Health  Department’s information line, 703-737-8300, or send an email. 

Original source can be found here.