June 19, 2020 Office of Public Health updates mobile COVID-19 testing sites list for southwestern Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jun 19, 2020 - Listed below are the updated dates and locations of mobile COVID-19 testing sites in the region that includes Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes.

Mobile testing uses trucks and equipment operated by the Louisiana National Guard (LANG) to bring testing kits to neighborhood locations such as schools, community centers, fire stations and other local neighborhood locations.

Test sites are now open Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, the Office of Public Health regional medical director for the five-parish region, said, “The hours of operation for the mobile test sites have been extended to 12 noon to allow more people to get tested.”

“We are staying open an hour longer each day to give people more time and flexibility to get tested. This is part of our commitment to make it as easy and convenient as possible for local residents to get a test,” Cavanaugh added.

Testing Dates and Sites

Dates and locations are listed below for next week’s test sites by parish.

ALLEN PARISH: WEEK 4

*Not a National Guard site

BEAUREGARD PARISH: WEEK 4

CALCASIEU PARISH: WEEK 4

CAMERON PARISH: WEEK 4

JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH: WEEK 4

Test site details

• The sites, which will be staffed by members of LANG, are open from 8 a.m. to approximately noon.
• Testing is for open for any Louisiana resident 16 years of age and older. LANG-operated sites require valid Louisiana identification. However, other testing sites may not require ID.
• Each testing site will be conducted as a drive-thru test site.
• Once on site, those being tested will need to wear a mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. Walk-up testing is not preferred due to safety concerns, but walk-ups will not be turned away.
• The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose on site while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
• Once received, the Office of Public Health will contact those who were tested to communicate their results and share any necessary information.
• While awaiting results, individuals who have been tested should follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in their home and community.

Save the number 877-766-2130 in your phone

Dr. Cavanaugh encouraged anyone who receives a call from 877-766-2130 to answer, as the call is from a contact tracer. The call is private and your information will not be shared with other people.

"Just by picking up your phone and speaking with a contact tracer, you're helping to protect yourself and others by identifying those you have been in close contact with. This helps us to quickly identify and contain spread of the virus,” she said.

Contact tracing is crucial as Louisiana eases restrictions on businesses and activities. Contact tracing works as follows: When someone tests positive, a contact tracer will try to call everyone who came in close contact with the COVID-positive person. Everyone called by a contact tracer is advised to watch themselves for signs of illness for 14 days from when they first came in contact with the COVID-19 person.

If a resource need is identified through the contact tracing interview, the case is flagged for follow-up from a resource coordinator social worker who can connect individuals with a wide assortment of available resources. These can include medication, masks, food assistance and even help locating alternative housing.

If someone calls from a number other than 877-766-2130, claims to be a contact tracer and asks for personal information, hang up immediately.

For information from the Louisiana Department of Health on COVID-19, click here.