In response to an increased supply in vaccine, the Hamilton County Health Department is discontinuing the use of the Alstom Plant for COVID-19 testing and will convert the location to a COVID-19 vaccination distribution site. Saturday is the last day COVID-19 testing will be offered at Alstom.
“As the Health Department transitions staff and resources to our fourth vaccination site, we believe there is adequate testing available in our community and look to our community partners for their continued role in helping us detect and mitigate the virus,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said there are 52 in local hospitals with COVID, and fewer than 20 of those are from Hamilton County.
He said there have been over 100,000 first- and second-dose vaccinations given here.
Ms.
Barnes said 17 percent of county residents have had at least one dose and nine percent have had both doses.
The Health Department urges close contacts to a positive case and those experiencing new symptoms to visit one of the following community partner COVID-19 testing sites:
Cempa Community Care drive-thru COVID-19 Testing at Alleo Health
4411 Oakwood Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37416
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday: 1-4 p.m.
LifeSpring Community Health drive-thru COVID-19 Testing
2507 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37404
Monday – Wednesday – Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Clinica Medicos drive-thru COVID-19 Testing
1300 E 23rd Street
Chattanooga, TN 37404
To schedule an appointment, call (423) 206-4530 or visit their website at https://www.clinicamedicos.org/.
Walk-in testing is available without an appointment.
The Health Department began offering free community COVID-19 testing at the Bonnyshire Emissions location on April 3. Since then, the Health Department has offered free community testing at school sites, churches, emission centers, and alongside various partners in the community.
To date, the Health Department has administered approximately 156,000 COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic.
“With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Hamilton County continuing to trend downward, vaccinations move to the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response,” said Ms. Barnes. “We are proud to have been able to provide free community testing for just under a year, but look forward to expanding efforts towards a crucial need in our community at this time – getting vaccines in the arms of those who want them. Converting the Alstom testing site to a vaccination site will help us build further resources toward COVID-19 vaccinations.”
Call the Health Department’s COVID-19 Hotline at 423-209-8383 for assistance accessing testing and vaccination resources in Hamilton County. The hotline is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Here is the link to today's press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cABrOnDadkU