DCH Regional Medical Center opens COVID-19 drive-thru clinic

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - DCH Regional Medical Center opened a drive-thru clinic where people could get tested for coronavirus inside of their own car.

Testing started at 8 o’clock Monday morning in the big parking lot on Bryant Drive, across the street from the hospital.

Andy North, Vice President of Marketing Communication for DCH Health Systems told WBRC that it is safer to test for coronavirus in an open air venue rather than an enclosed space.

Insurance is preferred for people to get tested, but North added they will work with people who don’t have insurance.

They only want people who may have been exposed to someone with coronavirus or have symptoms like chest congestion, fever and cough to get tested. Those people will give health care workers a saliva sample that will be sent off for testing.

“If individuals are symptomatic and they’ve got some of the underlying situations such as they’ve been in contact with someone else who has it, they should come," North continued.

Tests take at least three days for results. If you test positive for the coronavirus the hospital will call you.

Testing is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot across from DCH seven days a week until further notice

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