DETROIT – The city of Detroit is planning to offer 1,000 COVID-19 testing appointments each day to residents and workers in an effort to curb coronavirus spread.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Wednesday announced that the city is making more PCR and rapid antigen COVID tests available Monday through Friday for people who live or work in Detroit. Interested individuals must call 313-230-0505 to make an appointment; walk-ins are not welcome at the testing sites.
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The two types of COVID-19 tests are being offered at the following two sites in the city:
- Joseph Walker Williams Center -- open 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Offering PCR COVID testing
- Huntington Place (formerly the TCF Center) -- open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
- Offering rapid antigen testing
According to the mayor, appointments are necessary to help prevent extremely long lines at testing sites. Duggan also says that by increasing the amount of COVID testing available, individuals can learn if they’re infected sooner, and then take the appropriate steps to prevent further spread.
The Joseph Walker Williams Center is able to handle about 600 tests each day, Duggan said Wednesday. City health officials determined that about 1,000 COVID tests should be offered each day to keep up with demand, and decided to add a testing site at Huntington Place.
Detroit residents or workers who want to get tested can call 313-230-0505 anytime from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and a staff member will help set up an appointment at one of the two testing locations.
Those interested in getting the COVID vaccine or a booster shot can call the same number to schedule an appointment, or visit the city’s website here for more information.
Duggan’s announcement comes as COVID spread increases throughout Detroit and the state of Michigan, likely due, in part, to the highly contagious omicron variant.
The state of Michigan on Monday reported its second-largest daily case average since the start of the pandemic. The state’s 7-day positive test rate jumped up to 29.93% as of Jan. 3, and COVID hospitalizations are once again on the rise.
Last week, the city of Detroit was seeing a COVID infection rate of 36%. In response, Detroit public schools have shifted to virtual learning through Jan. 14 to help prevent more infections.
Detroit health officials are urging people to wear masks in public and when around others, and to seek out surgical masks or K-N95, rather than using cloth masks.
Related: Nearly 700 Henry Ford employees test positive for COVID as hospitalization rates increase