May 1, 2020   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Mobile COVID-19 testing set for Adams, Attala, Noxubee and Claiborne counties

JACKSON, Miss., May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents of Adams, Attala, Noxubee and Claiborne counties and surrounding communities can be tested for COVID-19 next week as the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State Department of Health continue efforts to stem virus transmission by setting up one-day, drive-through collection sites.

These sites join others that were scheduled for this week, previously announced in Madison, Hinds, Leflore, Walthall, Clay, Lee, Leake, Pike, Calhoun, Copiah and Newton counties.

Anyone can be tested who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat. The Mississippi State Department of Health has expanded its guidelines and is now recommending testing for anyone with a known or potential exposure to someone confirmed with the virus.

Those who want to be tested must first get an appointment by going through a free screening from a UMMC clinician, either through the C Spire Health telehealth smartphone app or by phone. The fastest and easiest way to get screened and tested is with the C Spire Health app. It's available daily from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

The newest testing sites for Monday, May 4:

    --  Adams County:  Adams County Safe Room, 323 Liberty Road, Natchez
    --  Attala County: Attala County Coliseum, 550 Mississippi Highway 12,
        Kosciusko

The newest testing sites for Tuesday, May 5:

    --  Noxubee County: Noxubee Civic Center, 16291 U.S. 45, Macon
    --  Claiborne County: Claiborne County Parks and Recreation, 1120 Highway 61
        North, Port Gibson

The previously announced testing site for Saturday, May 2:

    --  Newton County: Clarke Venable Baptist Church, 362 W. Broad St., Decatur

Testing hours are noon-4 p.m. Only those with appointments will be tested.

Hundreds of people in Mississippi communities have taken advantage of the UMMC/MSDH drive-through collection sites. Those numbers include, as of the end of the day April 30, a total 1,144 people at 39 one-day testing states statewide, plus another 3,200 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, for a total of 4,344 tested.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi National Guard are partnering with UMMC and MSDH to coordinate mobile testing sites. UMMC and C Spire have partnered to make the screening free to all Mississippians.

Those without smartphones who want to be screened for testing can call (601) 496-7200.

During drive-through testing, health care professionals will collect specimen samples via a nose swab. Those being tested will not exit their vehicle. For more information about testing, click here.

About the University of Mississippi Medical Center

UMMC is the state's only academic medical center. Its education, research and health care missions share the objectives of improving the health of the state's population and eliminating health disparities. Located in Jackson.

UMMC encompasses seven health science schools, including medicine, nursing, health related professions, dentistry, pharmacy, graduate studies and population health. The Medical Center's health care enterprise includes the state's only Level I trauma center, only children's hospital, and only organ and bone marrow transplant program. The Medical Center also is home to a Telehealth Center of Excellence, one of two in the nation.

For more information, visit www.umc.edu and click here to view news and features stories produced by UMMC Communications and Marketing.

About C Spire

C Spire provides a full suite of world-class, customer-inspired dedicated Internet, IP Voice, data, managed services, cloud services, value added resale and mobile communications to businesses and wireless, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access and related home services for consumers. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at twitter.com/cspire.

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SOURCE C Spire