The Bexar County Commissioners Court on Tuesday heard an update on the county’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the expansion of testing capabilities.
Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick told the court that based on the success of drive-thru testing at the Freeman Coliseum, a Texas MedClinic on the South Side will offer drive-thru testing for COVID-19. She said the clinic at the corner of Southwest Military Drive and Zarzamora Street is a converted bank, making it easier for tests to be administered.
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Michelle Vigil, public relations manager for the Metro Health, said testing at the site will open on Thursday. It was added because the goal “is to have testing locations available that are accessible in all areas of town," she said.
The testing site is a partnership between Texas MedClinic, U.S. Army Medical Command and the South Texas Regional Advisory Council, or STRAC. Texas MedClinic personnel will perform the testing, according to a spokesperson. It will operate the same as the testing at Freeman Coliseum, meaning appointments are required.
The Freeman site makes up for 22% of testing in the county, Emerick said. It is operated by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and STRAC. Appointments are required and can be obtained on the city’s website or by calling 210-233-5970.
Texas MedClinic will still operate its own COVID-19 testing at its clinics. Patients are asked to complete registration and an evaluation screening quiz online.
CentroMed and CommuniCare are also offering limited testing for COVID-19. More information is available on their websites.
There are 1,029 positive COVID-19 cases in Bexar County, resulting in 39 deaths. About 27% of cases — or 276 people — have recovered from the virus.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.
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