New drive-thru testing site opens in Skagit County

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Skagit County opened its first coronavirus testing site in Mount Vernon on Monday in an attempt to keep up with the demand for increased testing.

Within a half hour of opening Monday morning at Skagit Valley College, the health department said 156 people had registered to be tested.

“We’re anticipating somewhere around 200 plus,” said Bryan Brice with Skagit County Incident Command. “We’re set up, and we won’t call it a goal, but able to do around 200-300 tests in a day.”

The Skagit County Health Department said they have had less cases compared to other counties, with around 304 positive cases and 112 people recovered.

The department said as testing increase, the number of positive cases will go up, but that is not necessarily indicative of more transmission but rather identifying previous infections.

While some clinics have been doing testing, they haven't been able to keep up with demand.

"The clinics have limited resources, they're stressed as well, so this provides an opportunity for more folks who need testing," Brice said.

People who feel they have mild symptoms or have a doctor’s recommendation can go to the county health website to register online. The drive-thru nasal swab test can be done within three minutes, and results come back within a few days.

Learn more here.

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