DENVER — A new COVID-19 testing site closed early in Jefferson County on Sunday after testing at least 300 people, the county's public health department said. About 500 additional cars were in line at the time of closing.
The site is one of two new free testing locations in Douglas and Jefferson counties – both have seen increases in cases and the need for more testing locations.
Both sites, in Lone Tree and Golden, opened in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
“The extreme demand seen at the Jeffco test site illustrates the growing concern and need for disease prevention and mitigation steps as COVID-19 continues to have a serious foothold in our community," Jeffco's health department said.
The Jefferson County Fairgrounds will reopen for testing at 7 a.m. Monday with anticipated high demand, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) said.
The Golden site opened Sunday at the fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6th Ave. Frontage Road. It will operate from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every other day.
Walk-ins are welcome but people are encouraged to pre-register on the county's website. The site can perform at least 2,000 tests per day, and results are expected in two to three days, according to Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH).
The Lone Tree site is at Canvas Credit Union, 10000 Park Meadows Drive. It opened Saturday and will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The site will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, according to a press release.
There will be no insurance requirements at the Douglas County testing site, and testing is free, the release says.
JCPH also will have a mobile COVID-19 testing van that will be traveling throughout Jeffco mountain communities as well as in neighboring counties.
“We know that the sooner someone knows they have COVID-19, the sooner they can take important steps to prevent disease spread, like isolating at home and notifying their close contacts," said Dr. Margaret Huffman director of Community Health Services at JCPH, in a press release. "These new testing sites will help more people know if they have the virus sooner, which will help our community in the fight against COVID-19.”
There are more than 50 free community testing sites across the state. A list of locations can be found here.
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