Mobile testing COVID-19 testing will be available at no cost beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 23, said John Powers, The Woodlands Township's assistant general manager for community services.
Powers made the announcement at the Oct. 22 board of directors meeting, which was held in person at the township's town hall at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands.
Testing will be available from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in the town hall parking lot through the mobile testing company Curative until the middle of November, Powers said.
There is no residency requirement, he said in an email on Oct. 23.
"The testing is done by oral swabs. ... The van is touchless. You walk up to two windows; they drop out the swabs and the forms through a chute; the resident fills that out, does a self-administration of the swab in their mouth, puts it in a container and puts it in another chute," Powers said, describing the procedure.
Tests can be administered to walk-up customers or through appointments made online through the Curative website. Results will be available within 24 hours via email or text, Powers said.
The test itself takes about 20 seconds, and the company recommends patients not eat or drink 20 minutes before coming for the test to avoid contamination, he said.
"If the demand is good, they can prolong the period of time. ... If there’s not, they can look at other sites in the township ... to see what the demand is," Powers said.
In addition to two operators in the van, two assistant technicians will be available to assist, though the test must be administered by the person taking the test, Powers said.
Board Vice Chair Bruce Rieser said the company has also been working with Harris County, and the tests are free through the state's emergency management office.
According to information on the Curative website, the test involves having the recipient cough, and then swab the inside of their cheeks and roof of the mouth for 20 seconds. An instructional video is available on the company website.
