ITTA BENA, Miss.—Residents of Leflore County and surrounding communities can be tested for COVID-19 next week at Mississippi Valley State University as the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Mississippi State Department of Health continue efforts to stem virus transmission by setting up one-day, drive-through collection sites.
Testing at MVSU will be held Monday, August 31, 2020, at the Rice-Totten Football Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Testing is available by appointment for anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat; or who has a known or potential exposure to someone confirmed with the virus.
Individuals who want to be tested must first complete a free screening from a UMMC clinician through an online questionnaire found at umc.edu/covidscreening. Anyone determined to need testing will be given an appointment date and time.
Those who don’t have online access can seek an appointment by calling the UMMC Center for Telehealth at (601) 496-7200 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Thousands of people in Mississippi communities have taken advantage of the UMMC/MSDH drive-through collection sites. Those numbers include, as of the end of the day August 24, a total of 12,288 people at 207 one-day testings statewide, plus another 21,535 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds and West Street Farmers Market, for a total of 33,823 tested.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi National Guard are partnering with UMMC and MSDH to coordinate mobile testing sites. During drive-through testing, health care professionals will collect specimen samples via a nose swab. Those being tested will not exit their vehicle.
For more information about testing, click here.