Free Tri-Cities COVID testing site is closing abruptly. Second site remains open

Wednesday will be the last day for free, drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the Kennewick testing site, the Benton Franklin Health District announced late Wednesday morning.

It is staffed by the Washington National Guard, and the staffers at the 1709 S. Ely St. site are being given another assignment.

No further details on the new assignment was given, but the Washington National Guard is assigned to set up four mass COVID vaccination sites within a week in the state of Washington.

One of those sites will be at the Benton County Fairground in Kennewick. Details have yet to be released, but more information on the vaccination site could be made public this week.

The Tri-Cities’ second drive-thru testing site will remain open on Argent Street by Columbia Basin College from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

It has collected test samples from 8,699 people in the last two weeks, while the Kennewick site has collected 807 samples over the same time.

The coronavirus testing site had just opened Jan. 5 after it moved from the HAPO Center (formerly TRAC) in Pasco. It had collected test samples from 2,427 people since then.

In the short time it had been open, it had to close for one day because a windstorm damaged its tent, and word was still getting out about the new location. In addition, it was open five days a week compared to the seven days at the CBC site.

Testing at the Kennewick site will end at 3 p.m. today, Jan. 20.

Preregistration for the CBC test site and the remaining hours of the Kennewick site can be done online at bit.ly/Tri-CitiesTesting, but is not required.

Information also is posted at that website by the Benton Franklin Health District on other places, such as pharmacies and clinics, offering COVID testing in Benton and Franklin counties.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 12:18 PM.