Point out who is a priority to get tested, urge contact healthcare provider
SALEM, Oregon (KTVZ) – The Oregon Health Authority announced Tuesday that it has launched a COVID-19 test site locator to help Oregon residents across the state find test sites in their community.
The interactive map is available on pages in English and Spanish and can be toggled to several other languages: healthoregon.org/covid19testing or healthoregon.org/coba19 tests (Spanish)
People who experience COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, should contact a health care provider to discuss whether they should be tested, OHA said. Healthcare providers determine if the tests are appropriate based on symptoms and the availability of tests in your area.
“Removing barriers to testing is important to help Oregon residents stay healthy and delay the spread of COVID-19,” said Dean Sidelinger, MD, a state epidemiologist and state health officer. “This new resource can help people find ongoing testing locations in their community, which is especially important for people who don’t have a primary care provider.”
The COVID-19 Test Site Locator was developed by Castlight, a healthcare navigation platform that connects information from hundreds of healthcare providers, benefit resources, and plan designs in one online tool.
Oregonians can locate nearby test sites by entering their address or selecting their state, county, and ZIP code. OHA said Oregon residents should call the COVID-19 test site before going to learn about test criteria, availability, and hours.
The Oregon Testing Guide encourages testing for anyone with symptoms, in consultation with a healthcare provider. If testing resources are limited, the following groups should be prioritized:
- Health workers and first responders (EMS, public safety workers)
- Residents, staff, children, and others in nonhospital congregation settings (eg, Residential Care Centers, group homes, schools, agricultural workplaces, food processing plants, jails or prisons, shelters)
- Workers who provide direct care or services in multiple group facilities or who provide services in the home (for example, hospice workers, physical or occupational therapists, personal care workers in the home)
- Essential front-line service workers who have regular contact with large numbers of people (for example, those who work in supermarkets, pharmacies, transit, delivery, and other critical infrastructure services)
- Persons 65 years of age or older
- People with underlying medical conditions, including but not limited to hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, obesity, and immunocompromised conditions
- People who identify as Black, African American, Latino, American Indian / Alaska Native, Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
- People who identify as disabled
- People whose first language is not English
- Pregnant women
- People whose condition requires hospitalization.
- Persons who, within 14 days of the onset of their symptoms, had close contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case
Data on the evidence locator was sent to Castlight by both OHA and local public health authorities.
OHA also noted that it cannot guarantee that people can be tested at one of the sites. “It is always best to contact a health care provider to get a COVID-19 test,” the agency said.
