The Tarrant County Public Health Department announced that as of April 26, residents can navigate to covidtesting.tarrantcounty.com for virtual COVID-19 screening. The first tests began April 27. Those who meet certain criteria will be automatically scheduled for an appointment at a Fort Worth-based testing site.
“As we begin planning for reopening, it is vitally important that we have more testing,” Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said in a news release. “These testing sites are going to be critical in helping us open up the county.”
The county health department plans to gradually ramp up testing capacity over the next few weeks, spokesperson Richard Hill said. The county's testing site will be able to field about 30-40 tests per day at the start, he said.
For those seeking testing elsewhere, both the city of Arlington and the Walgreens at 8600 Camp Bowie W. Blvd., Fort Worth, are offering free COVID-19 testing.
“This community has done an incredible job in these past weeks working through a terribly difficult time together,” Keller Mayor Pat McGrail said in address April 27. “As we enter what we all hope will be the final stretch of these restrictions, I thank you all for your patience, adaptability and spirit.”
As of April 28, TCPH has confirmed 2,088 cases of COVID-19 in the county, including 58 deaths and 289 patients who have recovered.
There are 885 positive cases confirmed in the city of Fort Worth, with 33 deaths and 121 patients who have recovered.
A total of 40 positive cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the city of Keller, including one death and six patients who have recovered.
Denton County Public Health will open a drive-thru coronavirus testing center May 2 for eligible residents who have experienced coronavirus symptoms in the past week.
These symptoms include but are not limited to a fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, chills, a loss of taste or smell, a headache and more. Registration must be completed online.
The drive-thru testing center will be open May 2 from 8 a.m.-noon at 535 S. Loop 288, Denton.
The center will have 200 tests available. DCPH said in an April 28 announcement that additional drive-thru testing centers will be provided for residents on an ongoing basis.
The tests, which typically take about 20 seconds to complete, involve a health care professional taking a deep nose swab, according to Denton County. Once a resident has been tested, they will be contacted with the results of the test in five to seven days.
DCPH announced April 28 that an additional 13 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed locally, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 738.
So far, 358 residents who were diagnosed with the virus have recovered, 360 cases remain active and 20 residents have died due to the disease, according to public health officials.
There are five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city of Roanoke.
