Test Iowa begins testing in Creston

Greater Regional Health began seeing its first patients for COVID-19 testing as it opened it doors as a Test Iowa clinic this morning at GRH’s educational building, 801 Wyoming Ave.

“We are well over half over our appointments being filled today, with a couple appointments sprinkled in on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Kayla Hoffman, director of marketing communications at Greater Regional Health.

Test Iowa is a partnership between the state and private corporations with the goal of ramping up COVID-19 testing by providing quick, accessible clinics and sites to those who need or want to be tested, regardless of whether they are Union County residents or if they are displaying symptoms.

“Test Iowa is going to be different than coming to Greater Regional to get tested,” said Hoffman. “If you want to come and get tested at Greater Regional, you need to be symptomatic and falling within those reasons for getting tested.”

Individuals who wish to get tested at a Test Iowa site must first fill out an online form to determine whether they are able to get tested at that point in time. Individuals able to get tested will receive a bar code to be printed off, which is to be taken to the testing location after calling ahead and scheduling an appointment.

Those getting tested in Creston are required to come from Abel Street to get to the clinic. Upon arrival, staff will be directing traffic to make sure each individual has an appointment and paperwork before entering.

As for the decision of where sites and clinics will be, Hoffman said that is up to Governor Kim Reynolds and her response team.

“It’s the governor’s office’s decision as to who gets a Test Iowa site,” said Hoffman. “Right now, it’s really small ... this is her going through and seeing where the need is, and we were a valid choice for it.”

The closest Test Iowa clinic outside of Union County is in Clarinda, which opened within the past week. With tests becoming more accessible in southwest Iowa, officials believe there will be a spike in confirmed cases.

“I think we will have a lot of people tested and our numbers will go up,” said director of Union County Emergency Management Jo Duckworth during the board of supervisors meeting Monday morning.

While the website may display set dates in which clinics are in operation, Hoffman said these dates are not set, and the duration of time a clinic stays active is dependent on usage and necessity.

“We are running through to see the numbers,” said Hoffman. “We will probably be looking back each week to see what the numbers are, how many people are coming in, and we will start to make a decision after that.”

Those who are asymptomatic can visit www.testiowa.com to complete an assessment. For those with any symptoms call the hotline at 641-782-1194 for further instructions on getting tested or for anyone else having difficulty with the website.

For further information, visit the website www.greaterregional.org under the "COVID-19" tab to read about the testing requirements and for a direct link to www.testiowa.com.