(Salt Lake City, UT) – With demand at COVID-19 testing sites declining across the state, and as the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) prepares to transition to a more long-term, sustainable response to the pandemic, the UDOH announced today it is closing several COVID-19 testing locations.
The following sites are scheduled to close:
- University of Utah – tailgate lot (final day for testing is February 18)
- Utah Valley University – (final day for testing is February 18)
- West Valley – Maverik Center (final day for testing is February 18)
- Hyrum – Hyrum Senior Center (final day for testing is February 18)
- Provo – BYU football stadium (final day for testing is February 20)
- Bluffdale – Bluffdale City Park (closed, final day for testing was February 15)
- Layton – Ellison Park (closed, final day for testing was February 14)
These closures are the first of several that will occur over the next six weeks as the UDOH transitions COVID-19 testing away from mass community sites to a model where most testing is conducted by health care providers, private testing providers, or home testing.
“We’ve closely monitored testing demand throughout the pandemic, and especially over the past several weeks. Many locations that used to test thousands of people a day are now testing fewer than 100,” says Nate Checketts, executive director of the Utah Department of Health. “We have worked to ensure other testing options are available in the vicinity of each site we are closing. Additionally, contracts with testing partners will remain in place, which provides us with the ability to re-open sites if the situation warrants.”
Please visit https://coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-covid-19-testing-locations/ to find a testing location near you. At-home test kits are also readily available for private purchase at local pharmacies or online. Most individuals covered by private health insurance are able to get at-home test kits covered by their health plan. In addition, the federal government will ship four free test kits to every household in America. To order your kits visit https://covidtests.gov.