LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2020) — The Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Department for Public Health is partnering with the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare to begin free drive-up COVID-19 testing for the community at two sites beginning Aug. 24, UK officials said Monday.
“Kentucky remains at war with the coronavirus, and a robust testing program is essential to protecting one another, fully reopening our economy and getting all of our children back in classrooms,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “I want to thank the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare for stepping up with this partnership to provide the community with this free public health resource. Everyone should take advantage of these testing opportunities and be part of Team Kentucky’s push to defeat COVID-19.”
The university will place two testing sites on campus locations, said UK Police Chief Joe Monroe, who is overseeing the logistics and implementation of testing. To facilitate the testing, UK will continue its partnership with Wild Health, a Lexington-based company currently conducting COVID-19 testing for university students and employees.
One site for community testing will be in a new parking lot on College Way near the UK motor pool on the far southern edge of campus, Monroe said. The other site will be on the grounds of Eastern State Hospital, which UK operates and manages for the state. The hospital is located off of Newtown Pike near the I-64/75 interstate exchange. Eastern State is located at UK’s Coldstream Research Campus.
UK is conducting the testing in partnership with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. All testing will be available by scheduling an appointment. To receive a free COVID-19 test, an individual can register at: lexington.wildhealth.com. Testing will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
“Our role as Kentucky’s flagship, land-grant university is to serve our Commonwealth,” Monroe said. “Where there is a need and a gap to fill, we want to do our part. That’s what the community testing initiative is all about — serving our state during a time of unprecedented need.”
UK has required testing for all students who plan to be on campus this fall and has offered testing to employees who plan to be on university grounds. Testing at five sites on campus started Aug. 3. Undergraduate classes began Aug. 17. To learn more about UK’s restart plans, go to www.uky.edu/coronavirus.
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