• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Friday, March 24, 2023
The Iowa Torch
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
The Iowa Torch
The Iowa Torch
No Result
View All Result
Home State Government

Test Iowa Program to End Operations on July 16

Test Iowa, the state’s large-scale, free COVID-19 testing program which launched in April of last year, will end operations on July 16, 2021.

Iowa TorchbyIowa Torch
June 17, 2021
in State Government
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Test Iowa Program to End Operations on July 16

DES MOINES, Iowa – Test Iowa, the state’s large-scale, free COVID-19 testing program which launched in April of last year, will end operations on July 16, 2021. Staggered closings of its drive-thru test sites and clinic locations statewide will occur over the next five weeks.

RELATED POSTS

Reynolds signs two bills addressing transgender children

School restroom bill heads to Reynolds’ desk

Iowa House sends government reorganization bill to Reynolds’ desk

The five state-operated drive-thru locations will close when testing concludes at 4 p.m. on the following days:

  • Wed., June 23: Pottawattamie County (3236 Nebraska Ave., Council Bluffs)
  • Thurs., June 24: Linn County (Windstar Lines, 5755 Willow Creek Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids)
  • Fri., June 25: Black Hawk County (4121 Alexandra Drive, Waterloo)
  • Fri., July 16: Polk County (4475 NE 3 rd St., Des Moines)
  • Fri., July 16: Scott County (North Park Mall, 320 W. Kimberly Rd., Davenport)

Clinic site closures will be determined by provider, but will occur no later than Friday, July 16. Closing dates will be announced publicly and posted online at coronavirus.iowa.gov and testiowa.com. Demand for testing is at its lowest levels in more than a year since vaccine is now widely available and virus activity has significantly decreased. However, ensuring the availability of free COVID-19 tests for Iowans remains a priority.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and State Hygienic Lab (SHL) are finalizing plans now to provide at-home test kits free of charge to Iowa residents following the closure of the Test Iowa program. More details will be provided in the coming weeks. Additionally, COVID-19 testing will continue to be provided by health care providers, pharmacies, and other retail testing sites statewide. Test Iowa is a public-private partnership between the State of Iowa, Nomi Health, Domo and Qualtrics that provided access to 540,000 PCR test kits plus the equipment and technology to automate the testing process.

The program significantly improved Iowa’s testing capacity early on during the pandemic when supply nationwide was extremely limited. Governor Reynolds announced the launch of Test Iowa during a press conference on April 21, 2020, just six weeks after Iowa’s first positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. The first drive-thru test site opened in Des Moines on April 25, and within a few weeks, the program expanded to include several more sites statewide. On May 27, the first clinic site opened in West Burlington, a collaboration between the state and local health care provider Great River Health to increase testing access in rural regions, a model which expanded to more than 20 clinic sites serving communities across the state.

Test Iowa also provided the state with a robust data platform to effectively manage its COVID-19 response. Real time data allowed the state to track trends in virus activity down to a zip code and respond with targeted strategies to contain it. The platform also enabled the state to share its data easily and transparently with Iowans throughout the course of the pandemic.

Since opening, nearly 644,000 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 at a Test Iowa site, making it Iowa’s top testing option. Testing peaked on Nov. 23, 2020, when more than 6,700 individuals were tested on a single day. Approximately 400 total tests per day are now being conducted across all 17 drive-thru and clinic sites currently open.

ADVERTISEMENT

Drive-thru test sites will continue to operate Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while they remain open. Hours of operation vary by clinic site. For more information about locations, hours or scheduling a test, visit coronavirus.iowa.gov or testiowa.com.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to an individual who has tested positive and you have not yet been fully vaccinated, you should be tested and remain at home away from others until you know your results. If you are positive for the virus, follow the isolation instructions from your testing provider or local public health department.

IDPH encourages Iowans age 12 and up to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Information about vaccine providers and events statewide is available at vaccinateiowa.gov.

Tags: COVID-19Iowa Department of Public HealthState Hygienic LabTest Iowa
ShareTweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Reynolds Signs Tax Cuts, Mental Health Funding Into Law

Next Post

The U.S. House Passes Two Axne Bills

Iowa Torch

Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans.

Related Posts

coronavirus
Opinion

Miller-Meeks: Understanding the origins of COVID-19 will prepare us for the future

March 13, 2023
State of Iowa to end mandatory COVID-19 reporting on April 1
State Government

State of Iowa to end mandatory COVID-19 reporting on April 1

February 27, 2023
Iowa’s New Unemployment Rate Holds Steady, Overall Rates Rise
News

Report finds Iowa is fifth-worst in U.S. for hiring struggles

February 20, 2023
Miller-Meeks Asks If Feds Are Prepared to Support States, Cities Fight Cyber-Attacks
Opinion

Miller-Meeks: Restoring pre-COVID norms

February 9, 2023
Ernst Expresses Concern About Trump’s Upcoming Senate Impeachment Trial
Opinion

Ernst: Investigation proves group that funneled tax dollars into Chinese labs can’t be trusted.

February 2, 2023
Ernst Expresses Concern About Trump’s Upcoming Senate Impeachment Trial
Opinion

Ernst: Let’s defund EcoHealth.

October 18, 2022
Next Post
The U.S. House Passes Two Axne Bills

The U.S. House Passes Two Axne Bills

Ernst Blasts Democrats’ Election Bill

Ernst Blasts Democrats' Election Bill

Sign-Up For Our Daily Updates

Get The Iowa Torch right in your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Recommended Articles

Grassley: State Dept. AWOL as Americans, Allies Remain Stranded In Afghanistan

Grassley: State Dept. AWOL as Americans, Allies Remain Stranded In Afghanistan

October 29, 2021

Iowa Senate Panel Advances Reynolds’ Ed Reform, School Choice Bill

February 4, 2022
Opioid drugmaker agrees to $2.37 billion settlement

Opioid drugmaker agrees to $2.37 billion settlement

August 1, 2022

Popular Stories

  • elderly couple walking on a flower field

    Sherman: Iowa can fight back against the Biden Administration’s attack on retirees and families

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Horn: It’s time for employers get serious about Iowa’s untapped workforce

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • School restroom bill heads to Reynolds’ desk

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ernst: Biden’s WOTUS whiplash.

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reynolds signs two bills addressing transgender children

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

The Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans

Categories

  • Education
  • Federal Government
  • Iowa History
  • Local Government
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • State Government
  • Uncategorized
  • Uncategorized

Newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.