Fast and free COVID testing now available every day in Tri-Cities

Update: The Richland testing site has moved to 975 George Washington Way, near the police station.

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Update: A second free testing site has opened in the Tri-Cities, this one in Richland.

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Update: Hours have changed to 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Tuesdays at 3110 W. Argent Road, Pasco.

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The drive-thru site for free COVID-19 testing in Pasco near the Columbia Basin College is expanding to seven-day a week service.

It had been closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, leading to pent-up demand and traffic backups when it reopened on Thursdays.

Last Thursday it collected a record-number of 840 samples for testing, in part because the Tri-Cities second free drive-thru testing site was closed on Veterans Day.

The Washington National Guard operates a drive-thru testing site at the HAPO Center in Pasco, which will continue to be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

The site at 3110 W. Argent Road near CBC has been popular because test results are available in just one to three days.

It now will be open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., except some holidays. Closures include Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Testing is free, but anyone with a health insurance card is asked to bring it to help defray costs.

Preregistration online at bit.ly/Tri-CitiesTesting is not required, but will make the experience at the testing site faster. Information about other places where testing is available is posted at the same link.

The Argent Road site is staffed by the Pasco Fire Department and other Tri-Cities area emergency and healthcare workers.

This story was originally published November 14, 2020 at 1:57 PM.