City and County of Honolulu, Federal Government, State of Hawai‘i partner to offer free testing on O‘ahu
News Release from City and County of Honolulu, August 25, 2020
HONOLULU- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, State of Hawaii, and the City and County of Honolulu have partnered to conduct widespread COVID-19 testing on O‘ahu. The Honolulu Fire Department will lead the effort. The surge testing is set to begin on Wednesday, August 26 and will run for 12 consecutive days.
Testing at the surge locations is available at no cost to individuals five years and older – including those experiencing symptoms; those who believe they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19; and anyone who is worried about possibly having the virus.
“I’m glad to be here on O’ahu to represent HHS as these testing sites are stood up, increasing access to critical testing resources,” said Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. “If you or a loved one are worried you may have come into contact with COVID-19, please make an appointment to get tested. It’s easy and most importantly – free!”
“This is an excellent opportunity for concerned Oʻahu residents to get tested. This mass testing is also a chance to better understand the level of infection across Oʻahu as our healthcare system has become increasingly concerned about its capacity to handle the caseload. County, state and federal partners will continue to work together to protect the health and safety of the people of Hawaiʻi.”
“Doing this on a massive scale can help to reset O‘ahu, break these surges, and put us on a path to recovery,” said Mayor Caldwell. “If as many as possible participate in the next two weeks, then follow up with protective action, we can beat this. The County asked for help and the Federal Government’s Coronavirus Task Force stepped up. We need to find out where the virus is in our community. The best thing to do right now is to get yourself tested, get your family tested, encourage your coworkers, neighbors, anyone in your circles to do this. Keep your circle protected and sequestered for the next 14 days. This will knock out this virus. The intent is to test as many residents as possible, guide those that test positive, and give families piece of mind with their negative results. From that point on, everyone should work to protect their circle for 14 days. Stay home, stay away from gatherings. Stay safe.”
Individuals seeking testing do not need to be a resident of the community where these testing sites are located. Individuals under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian present to consent to testing. Results are expected to be available 3-5 days following a test. There will be 60,000 tests available over the course of 12 days. The federal government is providing the tests and covering all associated costs. Every individual getting tested will also receive five cloth face coverings so they can protect others from COVID-19.
On Wednesday, August 26, testing will be available from 9 a. m. through 2 p. m. at the following sites.
- Kaneohe District Park
- Leeward Community College
A full site list is available at www.doineedacovid19test.com.
The community is highly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity because it may not be offered again. For peace of mind, COVID-19 positive households can now get free testing for all family members. Protect yourselves, protect others, protect your community, and make use of this valuable opportunity.
Testing procedures and results will be kept confidential. Results will be made available via e-mail notification in as early as three days. Surge test participants will not be subject to the fourteen-day quarantine that other test programs require.
Register for your free test at www.doineedacovid19test.com. You will also obtain your results by logging into this portal.
—Pau—