For the third time in the coronavirus pandemic, Lyon County Public Health is partnering with WellHealth to offer free services for area residents.
WellHealth will provide free tests beginning Tuesday and continuing at least through February. WellHealth will be stationed at the Bowyer Community Building, with testing available between 7 am and 6 pm Mondays through Saturdays until further notice. Residents will need to schedule appointments online at www.gogettested.com. Slots are currently available.
Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says discussions about onboarding an external partner started around two weeks ago when testing demand was extraordinarily high. Logistical issues prevented the partnership from finalizing sooner, but Millbern says it’s good to have another testing option for residents.
In December 2020 and January 2021, Lyon County and WellHealth had their first partnership, with WellHealth offering free tests at the Bowyer Building and later the Fairgrounds Anderson Building. Early efforts were hampered by a lack of supplies and slow test returns but improved by the time the first round ended. WellHealth then returned to help provide free tests from March to June.
The resumed effort from WellHealth coincides with other ongoing efforts locally to provide free COVID-19 tests:
*Flint Hills Community Health Center continues offering free tests at the Health Center, 420 West 15th. Residents need to schedule online at www.publichealth.lyoncounty.org.
*Newman Regional Health is also offering free tests at the hospital, with scheduling through 620-343-6801.
*Healthier Lyon County is providing at-home tests on demand to underserved residents, including the disabled, homeless, homebound, economically disadvantaged and residents with transportation issues. Residents can call Healthier Lyon County at 620-208-3218 or 620-794-1548.
