New testing operations will increase capacity at HCPH and get results faster
Houston – In partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS), both of Harris County Public Health’s (HCPH) Ken Pridgeon Stadium and San Jacinto College Central Campus locations will transition to surge testing sites, aiming to increase testing capacity and faster lab turnaround times.
The temporary transition, lasting roughly two weeks or until 30,000 testing samples are reached, will take place at both stationary sites starting Thursday, August 6th and operational hours will be Monday through Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In addition to these hours, starting August 4th, we will introduce evening testing at our stationary locations which will occur every Tuesday (Pridgeon) and Thursday (San Jacinto) from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to better support our community.
With the additional resources and new process, testing capacity at each location will increase from 750 tests per day to 1,250 and residents should receive their results in 3 to 5 business days.
What is Surge Testing?Surge testing provides additional temporary federal support to areas around the county that have seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases. Testing at the surge locations is available to individuals age 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. These surge sites rely on a separate network of labs for processing and will help clear the backlog of tests causing delays.
“Surge testing in Harris County marks an important milestone in our efforts to mitigate COVID-19 locally and we are grateful to our federal and state partners for this opportunity.” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, HCPH Executive Director. “It is vital that our residents have access to free testing, but this partnership also helps address the need of increasing our testing capacity and residents getting their results faster.”
How to Register for Surge Testing
Residents can pre-register for surge testing starting tomorrow, August 5th. Anyone can sign up for testing at one of our surge locations directly through doineedacovid19test.com or by visiting ReadyHarris.org. You can also register by calling 832-927-7575. Residents who sign up for testing online will need to create a profile, take the brief online assessment and select the site location and time. You can confirm the appointment and make sure to bring your test voucher ID number with you.
Your voucher ID number is required for testing site or else you will not receive testing. Additionally, the testing voucher is only valid for the date of your test and cannot be used on a separate date. Please note, this is separate registration process than ongoing HCPH testing and individuals who prefer to go to HCPH mobile sites will continue to register by visiting: www.hcphtx.org or by calling 832-927-7575. All surge testing must register through www.doineedacovid19test.com, HCPH call center cannot register individuals for surge testing.
Receiving ResultsResidents should expect their test results in 3 to 5 business days. An email notification will be sent to the user that their results are available through the patient portal. Results can be accessed by visiting www.doineedacovid19test.com and entering the same username and password used to sign up for testing. HCPH will not have access to individual’s usernames and passwords, we encourage everyone who registers for surge testing to maintain record of their username and passwords for all individuals who have registered.
While you await your results, we urge you to practice social distancing, staying home as much as possible, wearing your face covering in public, washing your hands often and cleaning high-touch surfaces regularly.
Harris County Public Health Mobile Testing sites:
HCPH will continue to offer COVID testing at our 4 mobile locations rotating throughout Harris County precincts. Each mobile unit has the ability to test 200 residents per day with a 2 to 4-day turnaround time for results. To sign up for testing, residents can call 832-927-7575 or sign up via www.covidcheck.hctx.net/.
Mobile locations for the week of August 3-August 8, Monday-Saturday are:
- Inspire Church: 11727 E Sam Houston Pkwy N, Houston, TX 77044
- Closed Tuesday, August 4
- Bay Area Community Center: 5002 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook, TX 77586
- Closed Wednesday, August 5
- Mission Bend Islamic Center: 6233 Tres Lagunas Dr, Houston, TX 77083
- Closed Thursday, August 6
- Jesse Jones Park: 20634 Kenswick Dr, Humble, TX 77338
- Closed Friday, August 7
NOTE: We respectfully ask news media to refrain from showing close images of our testing centers when they are operational to protect patient privacy and prevent possible infection. Doing so may lead people to being identified and discourage symptomatic people from participating, furthering the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Visit www.ReadyHarris.org or www.hcphtx.org for the latest COVID-19 updates and resources.
