ST. LOUIS — Due to an increased demand for COVID-19 testing, a new testing site is opening in the City of St. Louis this week.
The City of St. Louis Department of Health is partnering with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Urban League, Centene Corporation and other public health partners to open the site.
The new drive-thru testing site will open at 1408 North Kingshighway Boulevard on Wednesday, Jan. 12. It will provide between 500-1,000 tests a day, according to a press release from the health department.
The testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12 through Thursday, Jan. 20. It will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 16. Pre-registration is required.
As of Monday, Jan. 10, the average positivity rate in the city climbed to 38%, which was up from 7.6% last month. Over the past seven days, an average of 468 people have tested positive for COVID per day.
The goal for the city’s positivity rate is 5%, according to the release. The last time the city was at 5% was two months ago on Nov. 8.
“Our community is in crisis right now by this virus,” said Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, director of health for St. Louis. “Hospitals have had to make difficult decisions, and families are finding themselves isolated from work and school. We have the tools to protect ourselves through vaccines, including boosters, masking, social distancing, and handwashing, but we need everyone to adhere to those mitigation strategies to flatten this latest upward trend.”
For information on testing sites throughout the state, visit the DHSS website.