Shorter Lines, Faster Results At Local Testing Sites: TPCHD

PUYALLUP, WA — Looking to get a COVID-19 test on the go in Pierce County? Well, it should be easier than ever before, says the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

The TPCHD says it has secured enough PCR tests that, in lieu of a nasal swap, visitors to their mass testing sites at the Washington State Fair Bronze lot and Canyon Road will instead be handed a PCR kit to take in their cars. The recipient then takes the test right then in their car, and hands it back to the site staff for processing. According to TPCHD, this change means that lines can move quicker, and visitors can get their results sooner.

Visitors to the Bronze Lot can, however, still take antigen tests if they would prefer.

The mass testing sites are likely the best option for a COVID-19 test if you're in a hurry, but there are other options available.

Washingtonians can order up to four free rapid antigen coronavirus tests through a federal government website — covidtests.gov — to help ease a nationwide shortage of the tests.

Each Washington household is eligible to receive up to five tests from the state's website, which are delivered for free by Amazon. During the first distribution, some kits arrived within one day.

Evergreen State residents should plan ahead to have the rapid COVID-19 tests on hand before they need them — whether as part of test-to-stay protocols in schools and workplaces, or after potential exposure to COVID-19.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at-home testing for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms five days after a potential exposure. Those symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms and muscle aches.

"Certainly if you're going to gather with family, if you're going to a gathering where people are immunocompromised or where they're elderly or where you have people who might be unvaccinated or poorly protected from a vaccine, that might be an opportunity you want to test," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said.

The federal and state websites aren't the only way to get rapid antigen coronavirus tests. A government order requiring private insurance companies to cover at-home tests took effect in January, though most companies will require upfront payment at pharmacies and online retailers.