Pima County To Expand COVID-19 Testing

Tucson AZ

25 August, 2021

12:56 PM

Description

TUCSON, AZ — Pima County is set to begin expanded COVID-19 testing Saturday at the Abrams Public Health Center. Free antigen testing will be offered from 1 - 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for everyone age 5 and older, according to a news release from Pima County Health Department. This testing uses a nasal swab method and results are usually available onsite within 15 minutes. The antigen test allows for fast results but occasionally produces false negatives, so those who test negative but are symptomatic will be offered a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the negative results. These tests are highly accurate but usually take a few days to produce results. Those who receive positive results for either test will be advised to begin immediate isolation. The county expects to continue expanded testing for several weeks, but that is contingent on funding.