St. Louis County announces new COVID testing site this morning

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – As COVID cases continue rising to record levels, the St. Louis County Health Department will soon open another COVID testing site.

Doug Moore, the chief counsel for St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page, said the new site is in response to the very high demand for COVID tests. Page is expected to formally announce the new site Friday morning during a briefing at the main county building.

People in the region and around the country have waited in long lines sometimes for hours to get a test. St. Louis County has offered free COVID tests for some time at its three permanent health centers. Moore said the new site will open Monday at the North County Recreation Complex just off Redman Avenue. The site, which will also be free, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 am until 4 pm It will use saliva tests and results should be available in one or two days. Nose swabs have been used at the other three county sites.

Over the past three weeks, Moore said the county has averaged about 2,000 tests a week. Moore said the new site will allow the county to do another 1,000 tests every week. The tests will be administered in peoples’ cars and appointments are required.

St. Louis City is also increasing its testing capacity. The city health department director said new partnerships will make 1,000 to 2,000 additional tests available every day starting next week.

Page is also expected to announce Friday that Pfizer COVID booster shots for kids ages 12 to 15 will start being offered Friday, January 7 at county health department clinics.

FOX 2 will carry the news conference live on-air and online. It starts at 8:30 am