Austin Public Health will open a new, federally funded COVID-19 testing site on Feb. 1 at Metz Elementary School, located at 84 Robert T. Martinez Jr. St. in East Austin.

The site will offer PCR testing from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The service is free and insurance is not required.

“We've seen an increased demand over this surge for testing, and so that additional resource from [the health and human services department] will allow us to test an additional 900 people a day,” Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup said. “And so not only are we expanding our capacity, we're also taking some of the heat off of the troopers at APH that have been supporting our community with free testing since the beginning."

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett and others held a press conference Jan. 28 to announce the center.

“Wonderful to stand together to ring in some good news: Federal reinforcements arrive next week as we fight the virus locally, to combat this surge and keep lowering case counts by stopping the spread. We’re working to protect Central Texans’ lives and livelihoods," Doggett said.

Federally funded contractors will operate the testing site. The Department of Health and Human Services will manage the site with Dallas-based health care technology company eTrueNorth.

Appointments can be made online at www.ineedacovid19test.com or by calling 800-635-8611. Walk-ups will also be available.