Fort Worth and Tarrant County are partnering to expand free COVID-19 saliva tests to Tarrant County residents. Saliva testing will now be available at two sites and with evening appointments available.
During the first week of the pilot program, 1,339 residents were tested. The number of appointments will be expanded at the J.P. Elder Middle School site. A second site at Dickies Arena is also being added.
Tests will be administered at:
• J.P. Elder Middle School, 709 N.W. 21st St. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. July 28-31. Tests will be limited to 450 per day.
• Dickies Arena Parking Garage, 3464 Trail Dr. 4-8 p.m. July 28-31. Tests will be limited to 300 per day.
Tests at both sites are available by appointment. To make an appointment visit https://covidtesting.tarrantcounty.com. Residents who do not have access to a computer may call 817-248-6299 to schedule an appointment.
“Expanding the testing capacity and increasing accessibility within our community was the natural next step after the initial saliva testing pilot program exceeded all metrics and expectations,” said Mayor Betsy Price. “Fort Worth will continue to expand testing capacity and turnaround time as we work to maintain the community’s health and economy.”
Residents who are being tested should not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum starting 30 minutes before the test. They also must remain in their vehicle for the duration of the test. Face coverings are required when feasible.
Patients should bring a smart phone to the testing site, which will be used to link the testing materials to the patient’s profile. Patients who do not have access to a smart phone can receive assistance from staff onsite. Bilingual personnel will be available onsite to assist.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Fort Worth to bring more COVID-19 testing to Tarrant County,” Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said. “The saliva tests are easier for children to take and have a 48-hour turnaround. This gives us a better chance to track the spread of the virus in Tarrant County.”
Some goals of the program are to make test results available quickly, to meet equity needs and to increase testing capacity across the community to meet needs and demand.
To learn more about COVID-19 testing options in Fort Worth, visit fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19/testing. For Tarrant County testing information, visit http://www.tarrantcounty.com/covidtestinfo.