COVID-19 Testing Site Closes In Washington Co. For Lack of Demand

COTTAGE GROVE, MN — The Minnesota Department of Health has closed its temporary COVID-19 testing site at Cottage Grove’s National Guard armory due to a lack of demand.

The temporary site administered its last tests Sunday, a department spokesperson confirmed to Patch.

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The state launched the temporary COVID-19 testing site Jan. 13 to help meet “unprecedented demand” for tests during a surge in cases linked to the omicron variant of the coronavirus, according to MDH public information officer Garry Bowman.

“With case growth slowing, demand for testing is declining,” Bowman said. “As such, the temporary site closed as originally planned.”

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The temporary testing site in Cottage Grove administered almost 5,600 tests in about six weeks of operations, Bowman said. The site had the capacity to test up to 1,000 people per day, officials said when it opened last month.

Officials are encouraging residents in the area to use Minnesota’s “large network” of testing providers if they are ill or were exposed to COVID-19. Click here to find a testing location near you.

Minnesota residents can also order free at-home tests.

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