Colorado closing 40 COVID-19 testing sites in April

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.”

Source: Read Full Article