PUEBLO — Pueblo Health announced Thursday the community COVID-19 testing site at the Colorado State Fairgrounds will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
The new hours take effect on Monday, July 13.
The testing is provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and is free and open to Pueblo County residents as well as residents from surrounding counties.
There is no daily limit to the number of people who can be tested. No doctor's order is needed, and testing is free.
Those who take the test have to be able to administer it themselves, and the testing site is drive-thru only. To ensure the safety of everyone, those who come for testing need to be inside an enclosed vehicle with the windows up. No walk-ups or motorcycles are allowed.
Those being tested should enter the State Fairgrounds through Gate 4, at Mesa and Gaylord Avenues.
“We are pleased to continue to provide free testing for our community. I encourage anyone who has symptoms, who believes they may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has been at a large gathering to get tested,” said Randy Evetts, public health director for the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment.
Tests are available for anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, which can include fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, headache, chills, body aches, muscle or body aches, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
Tests are also available for the following, including those who are symptomatic:
- Healthcare workers and first responders
- Anyone over the age of 65
- Essential workers, such as employees at grocery stores, restaurants, etc.
- Anyone who has had contact with a person testing positive for COVID-19
- African American, Latino and American Indian Tribes
- A resident of a long-term care facility and anyone experiencing homelessness
- Attended a large gathering or protest
Pueblo Health also encourages people to seek credible and reliable sources of information on COVID-19, including the Pueblo Emergency Status Board and Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment.
You can also call Pueblo's COVID-19 hotline at 719-583-4444 for more information.
Pueblo Health also encourages everyone to follow the Governor's Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors order, as well as:
- Wear a non-medical cloth face covering while out in public for necessary activities
- Minimize social activities and being physically close to other people
- Isolate yourself if you feel symptoms of shortness of breath, cough, temperature of 100.4 or higher, chills, headache, sore throat and new loss of smell or taste, call your medical provider before visiting them
- Seek preventative and routine care through your primary care provider and use the emergency room when medically necessary
- Wash your hands with soap regularly
- Cough or sneeze into elbow or tissue
- Stay home when you’re sick
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Avoid close contact with sick people
- Clean surfaces frequently touched.
