SEATTLE — The City of Seattle will open a free walk-up COVID-19 testing site at Rainier Beach High School on Friday. It is the third free testing site the city has opened, with plans for a fourth site in southwest Seattle.
Starting August 7, the community testing site will operate from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Unlike other sites opened by the city, this testing site is a walk-up and not a drive-through.
The city said they chose this area because officials realized there was a lack of testing nearby.
"It’s also adjacent to parts of the county that are experiencing a more significant spread of the disease at this time so we thought it was important to get a higher capacity volume of testing in this neighborhood," Lt. Brian Wallace from the Seattle Fire Department explained.
The testing is a cooperative effort between Seattle, King County Health, and UW Medicine. Seattle Firefighters will run the site in tents.
The nasal swab tests are free, but you must register online. The hope is that residents can be in and out within 30 minutes and receive test results in two or three days.
Rainier Beach High School is located at 8815 Seward Park Ave. S. in Seattle.
