Colorado closing 40 COVID-19 testing sites in April

04/06/2022

About one-third of state-run COVID-19 testing sites across Colorado will close in April as the state continues winding down its emergency response to the pandemic.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Wednesday that 40 sites will close, with most listing April 30 as their last day. The remaining 80 sites have the capacity to offer about 26,000 tests per day.

In the last week, the number of tests reported each day has ranged from 3,500 to more than 17,000. Those numbers include tests performed in all settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals and pharmacies.

Moving COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccinations into normal health care settings is a major focus in Colorado’s “roadmap” for the next phase of the pandemic. The state will continue to distribute rapid tests for home use.

The first site to close will be Timberline Church in Fort Collins, which will perform its last tests Friday. The site at the Inn at Silvercreek Granby will close April 14.

The sites scheduled to close April 30 are:

16th St Mall, Denver
5th Street Garage, Auraria Campus, Denver
AIMS Community College, Greeley
Aspen Airport Cell Lot
Aurora Center for Active Adults – Del Mar
Buena Vista Community Center
Chapman Park, Monte Vista
Clear Creek Valley Park, Arvada
Colorado Mountain College – Edwards
Rio Grande Social Services, Del Norte
Eastman Park, Windsor
Echo Park Stadium, Parker
Fairplay Community Center
Fort Garland Community Center, Blanca
Fraser Historic Church
Fruita 8/9 School
1198 Argentine St., Georgetown
Glenwood Springs Community Center
Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Golden
Kunsmiller Creative Arts, Denver
La Veta Fire Protection District
260 S. Kipling St., Lakewood
Lamar Community Building
Lincoln County Public Health, Hugo
Littleton SouthWest Plaza
Mission Medical, Colorado Springs
Montessori School of Evergreen
Mountain Family Health Center, Rifle
Nederland Community Center
Our Lady Mother of the Church, Commerce City
Peach Tree Shopping, Clifton
Red Rocks Community College, Arvada
Rocky Ford Public Safety Building
Rocky Mountain Prep, Denver
Silverthorne Recreation Center
Sky Ridge Campus, Lone Tree
Snowmass Village Town Hall
Water World, Federal Heights

Emily Travanty, the state health department’s laboratory director, said the state considered site traffic, equitable access for different populations and “strategic location” in deciding which sites to keep open.

“We took careful consideration of community needs and capacity demand in determining the schedule of site closures,” she said in a news release. “Now is an appropriate time to begin this gradual transition as we continue to see a plateau in case rates in Colorado, and decreased demand for community testing.”

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