The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is offering a free COVID-19 testing opportunity this Saturday, April 25, 2020, at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum parking facility. KCHD is grateful to the City of Knoxville for providing the testing location, the Tennessee National Guard for offering staffing assistance, and the Tennessee Department of Health for providing testing supplies.

“Working together as a team, we have made great strides when it comes to testing and I’d like to thank all of those involved,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “Accessibility for everyone is key, and in the coming days and weeks we expect to provide more and more testing opportunities for our residents.”

“We want to make sure that free testing is available to as many people as possible,” said Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon. “There are no commercial urgent care centers offering tests in East Knoxville, so the City is pleased to be able to make the Civic Coliseum parking facility available.”

This Saturday, KCHD will test anyone with concerns about their health at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum parking facility, located at 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or while supplies last. The public can drive-thru or walk-up to get tested. Appointments will not be required.

“We have been concerned about the lack of access for testing in certain parts of our community, “said KCHD Public Health Officer and Senior Director Dr. Martha Buchanan. “We want to make testing more accessible for people in these areas. So, we selected Saturday’s location based on our testing data and site specifications that support a drive-thru/walk-up model.”

Individuals should bring photo identification, if available. KCHD team members will collect nasal swab specimens and notify patients as soon as results are available. The timing of results is dependent upon the volume of samples received by the lab. While labs are working to increase turnaround time, results are typically available between three and five days.

All those tested will need to self-isolate at least until results are available, longer if the test is positive. When KCHD notifies a patient of their results, KCHD team members will provide guidance to the patient on next steps.

For additional questions, KCHD’s information line number is 865-215-5555 or toll-free at 888-288-6022. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 pm., Saturday and Sunday. Additional information about COVID-19, including Knox County’s current case count, local data, and what everyone can do to protect themselves, can be found on KCHD website. The CDC website is also a resource for the public.