Updated 1:42 p.m., March 23
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced at a March 23 press conference that Harris County opened two county-run drive-thru coronavirus testing sites March 23, in addition to the city-led site that opened March 20. .
The two locations were not made public and those who want to receive testing must fill out a screening survey online or over the phone to get directed to a testing site.
Katy ISD did not confirm whether the Legacy Stadium site was open and said questions should be directed to Harris County Public Health, which also did not publicly confirm that the site is open to ensure that only patients who have completed the screening will come to the testing site.
Each county testing site currently has the capacity to test 250 people per day but may receive additional capacity from the federal government when possible, Hidalgo said.
Updated 3:23 p.m., March 19
The city of Katy issued a statement on Facebook related to the coronavirus drive-thru testing site that is being set up at Katy ISD’s Legacy Stadium.
“We understand that our citizens are concerned about the activities at Legacy Stadium,” the statement reads. “The City of Katy has been assured that the operation of the testing site will have minimal impact on our citizens.”
It also noted that that the site is a joint operation between Harris County Public Health, the city of Houston and the federal government.
The site is not open at this time.
Updated 10:36 a.m., March 19
Katy ISD issued a press release March 19 with information regarding the setup of tents for coronavirus testing at Legacy Stadium, located at 1830 Katyland Drive, Katy.
“[KISD] has partnered with federal and local officials to provide a drive-thru testing site for at-risk individuals at Legacy Stadium,” the release states.
The site is not operational at this time, the release stresses. It will open in the coming days, pending the decision of health officials.
“The site will not be open for random testing and the District is advising residents not to show up without a referral, as this can unintentionally put others at risk, cause delays and interrupt the healthcare professionals who are working expeditiously to open the testing site,” the release states.
Once the site is open, only individuals who have been referred by a health care provider and have a health care notification will be tested, per the release. Tests will be conducted within patients’ vehicles, and the test will consist of a nasal swab.
“Katy ISD police officers, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement will secure the drive-thru testing site at Legacy Stadium and provide traffic control and directives to those individuals arriving with an official health notification," per the release.