Information in this Press Release may have changed since it was issued. For the most up to date information about testing hours and location for Mesa County’s Community, Sampling Site click here.
Beginning September 1, drive-up testing availability is expanding and will be available Tuesday – Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. An appointment is no longer required. The Mesa County Fairgrounds, 2785 US Highway 50, will continue to be the location for COVID-19 testing in Mesa County. The free testing is open to everyone regardless of symptoms. A pre-registration link is available on the MCPH website and is suggested to expedite the testing process but is not required.
“COVID-19 testing is essential for identifying and tracking cases and outbreaks quickly while also providing treatment options and isolation to prevent spread,” MCPH Executive Director, Jeff Kuhr, said. MCPH highly encourages those who have symptoms to get tested.
MCPH opened this COVID-19 community testing location at the fairgrounds in March of 2020. The site has increased capacity numerous times to meet demand, now sampling more than 70 people per day. In addition, pediatric and off-site sampling as well as antibody testing is available through MCPH. To date, more than 21,000 Mesa County residents have been tested for COVID-19.
Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) has partnered with MAKO Medical to decrease testing result wait times and provide more residents in Mesa and surrounding counties with access to COVID-19 testing. Mako Medical of North Carolina will manage staffing, testing operations and logistics, with support from MCPH and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Mako Medical will maintain a test results website, where those who are sampled can check the status of their results. A link to the test results website is available here, or residents can text MAKO to 66349 to opt in to receive results via text.
As they’re currently doing, Mesa County Public Health’s local team of case investigators will continue to follow up with individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to begin the contact tracing process and provide guidance and instructions.
The expanded hours and new partnership at the MCPH community site will allow more people to be tested for COVID-19. In addition, several health care clinics also offer COVID-19 testing in Mesa County. These locations play an important role in identifying COVID-19 cases quickly, which has been a key factor in ensuring case counts remain at manageable levels and do not overwhelm our hospitals.