As part of our continued efforts to keep Mesa County students in classrooms, Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) is partnering with local school districts to provide BinaxNOW tests to school-age, symptomatic students and staff.
The average daily COVID-19 case counts in Mesa County remain in the mid-80s with a positivity rate above 6%. The CDC continues to classify Mesa County as a high transmission area.
“We continue to work closely with agencies who serve Mesa County’s youngest residents who are not yet eligible for vaccination. Those between the ages of 5-11 are a high-risk population right now,” Jeff Kuhr, Director of Public Health for Mesa County said.
The BinaxNOW test is an antigen, viral test that offers results in between 15-30 minutes. The test is completed with a nasal swab, inserted just inside the nose (not a deep swab). The FDA-approved test is most useful to detect active COVID-19 infection and works best in symptomatic individuals.
School-age children, staff, and those in local child care facilities, can request the BinaxNOW test at the MCPH Community Testing Site, located at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.
Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing:
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- New Location: Mesa County Fairgrounds (under the Grandstands), 2785 US Highway 50, Grand Junction, CO 81503
- Hours: Tuesday-Friday 7 AM to 3 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 12 PM
D51 and other local students and staff should let the staff at the testing center know they are there for a school-related BinaxNOW rapid test.
“We want to do everything we can to protect Mesa County kids, we’re happy to aid in this testing in partnership with our local schools as they continue to work toward even more testing options for students, to keep our schools safe and protect in-person learning,” Kuhr added.
Due to limited supply, this test will not be offered to the general public. Residents have the opportunity to enroll in the state of Colorado’s Rapid At-home testing program. More information about this program can be found here.
Since March of 2020 MCPH has operated a Community testing site for COVID-19. The site recently moved back to the Mesa County Fairgrounds with increased capacity.
Visit the Mesa County Public Health website for hours and locations of several community testing sites or call your healthcare provider.