COVID update: When you should get tested for COVID-19

Here’s when you should get tested for COVID-19:

1 - When you experience the following symptoms such as: fever, cough, fatigue, headache, body aches, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or loss of taste or smell. If someone is experiencing severe symptoms (trouble breathing, persistent chest pain, confusion, etc.) you should seek emergency care.

2 - After coming in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

3 - People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their school, workplace or healthcare provide.

4 - Before travel (please double check the test you are getting is approved by your travel agency).

Please Note: People who have tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days do not need to get tested again unless they develop new symptoms. Unnecessary testing puts a strain on our limited testing resources.

YCCHS offers free COVID-19 testing in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood and Verde Valley. Only those who are symptomatic or have been recently exposed to COVID-19 should come to be tested, and anyone at the testing sites should wear a mask. Check the YCCHS Facebook page for cancellations due to extreme weather: www.facebook.com/YCCHS.

Drive-through testing is available at the Pioneer Park Front Parking Lot, 1200 Commerce Drive, Prescott, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Currently only PCR tests are available, but rapid tests are coming soon.

Drive-through testing is available 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Humboldt Unified School District office, 6411 N. Robert Road, Monday through Friday, Prescott Valley. Currently only PCR tests are available, but rapid tests are coming soon.

Testing in Cottonwood is available 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 300 South Willard St. Currently only the PCR test is available, but rapid tests are coming soon.

Testing in Camp Verde is available 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1298 W Finnie Flat Road. Currently only PCR tests are available, but rapid tests are coming shortly.

Yavapai County reports 770 COVID-19 Cases and seven deaths since Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, including 101 cases and three deaths reported Tuesday.

The county has tested 133,361 residents for COVID-19 in the past six months, and there have been 45,079 positive cases and 1,074 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Yavapai Regional Medical Center reports 59 COVID patients, VVMC reports 23 patients and the VA reports nine patients. The county is still experiencing high transmission of COVID-19 with a 38.2% positivity rate and 1,709 cases per 100,000 residents for the week ended Jan. 16, 2022. Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or what seems to be a bad cold, should get tested for COVID-19 and/or flu.

The Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 Hotline, at 844-542-8201 (select Option No. 8), offers help in English and Spanish from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, except for major holidays.

—The Daily Courier