The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is partnering with Kroger Health and the City of Knoxville to facilitate a COVID-19 drive-thru testing opportunity for qualifying individuals in Knox County. The two-day event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 in the Zoo Knoxville parking lot (3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive).

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to our health department along with the rest of our community and partners who are working hard to make things like this possible,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “One of the most important things we can do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is extensive testing. Drive-thru testing will make this process much easier and convenient.”

“The City of Knoxville is committed to doing everything we can to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon. “We are pleased to be able to offer the Zoo as the location for this much needed service in our community right now. We appreciate all of the people who have come together to get the drive-thru testing started and hope this will help expedite results and provide some comfort for those with COVID-19 symptoms.”

“We are grateful to Kroger and our community partners for providing this opportunity for Knox County,” said Dr. Martha Buchanan, Public Health Officer and Senior Director of the Knox County Health Department. “By increasing the opportunity for testing, we are able to get a better picture of the state of health in Knox County.”

“Kroger is proud to partner with the Knox County Health Department in this important effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Colleen Lindholz, President of Kroger Health. “This aligns perfectly with our vision, which is to help people live healthier lives.”

To be tested, individuals must meet CDC guidelines for testing, which include fever, shortness of breath, chills, cough, or recent exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID-19; be approved by Kroger Health prior to the testing dates; and have an appointment.

To request an appointment, Knox County residents should call Kroger Health (The Little Clinic) at 1-888-837-8852 (1-888-TEST TLC) and answer a few questions about your symptoms. If approved, a Kroger Health Call Center Associate will call you back to confirm your appointment and take additional information.

Individuals who are approved for testing must bring a valid ID and their appointment verification to the testing location. There is no charge to individuals and insurance status is not a barrier for testing.

Individuals in Knox County who meet clinical guidelines and high-risk criteria and/or are uninsured may continue to be tested through the Knox County Health Department. To be tested in this manner, Knox County residents must call 865-215-5555 before they can be approved and scheduled for testing. Specimen collection is still done by drive-thru process at the health department when possible. Currently, walk-in testing is unavailable.

For more information on COVID-19, including the public health response in Knox County, visit: https://covid.knoxcountytn.gov/