Spokane COVID-19 community testing sites adjust hours for holidays
One of the two mass COVID testing sites in Spokane County will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
The Spokane Falls Community College drive-thru site will be open Friday and on Dec. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. offering rapid antigen tests instead of standard lab-based testing. The Spokane County Fairgrounds site will be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Both community testing sites, which are not open on the weekends, will be open normal hours for the rest of the year.
The Spokane Falls Community College mass testing site is:
- Located at 3410 W. Whistalks Way in Spokane in parking lot of the college.
- Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the next two weeks; Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; regular Friday hours resume on Jan. 7.
- Drive-ups are welcome, but you can also
.
The Spokane County Fair & Expo Center mass testing site is:
- Located at 5100 E. Broadway Ave. in Spokane Valley in Multi Unit A.
- Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the next two weeks; regular Friday hours resume Jan. 7.
- This site is closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Drive-ups are welcome, but you can also
Most residents in Eastern Washington also qualify for free at-home rapid antigen test kits that are delivered directly to your doorstep. Visit the Say Yes COVID Test website to order kits.
Additionally, there are COVID tests available at local libraries throughout Spokane County. These test kits are self-administered lab-based PCR kits, which then must be sent to a lab for processing. The kits include a label to mail away the sample.
Last week, the omicron variant made up 73% of detected variants in U.S. COVID cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new variant is moving fast and more transmissible than delta, leading health officials to encourage not only vaccines and boosters but also testing, masking and other strategies to decrease transmission ahead of the holiday season.
Here’s a look at local numbers:
The Spokane Regional Health District reported 51 new COVID cases on Monday and three additional deaths.
There have been 1,135 deaths due to COVID-19 in Spokane County residents.
There are 64 patients hospitalized with the virus in Spokane hospitals.
The Panhandle Health District reported 75 new cases on Monday and no additional deaths.
There are 74 Panhandle residents hospitalized with the virus.