COVINGTON, Ky. — Northern Kentucky’s newest free COVID-19 testing site, located in the parking lot of the former IRS building, was sorely needed by the time it opened Monday morning.
Covington and the surrounding region have been engaged in an especially desperate struggle with the virus since the latter half of 2020; the Northern Kentucky Health Department reports hundreds of new cases every day.
But free testing has been hard for many Covingtonians to access, city manager David Johnston said, because the nearest free testing sites have been in Erlanger and Independence.
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"Unfortunately, lots of our population don't have means to transport themselves down to those sites,” said city manager David Johnston. “So when the state called last week, saying, ‘Could we use the IRS parking lot as a drive-thru testing site?’, it was a no-brainer yes."
Eighty people signed up to get tested in the first 12 hours the site was open, according to Johnston.
The tests are available by appointment only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and you can now sign up for a testing slot here. After receiving an appointment, it is important to print and bring your test voucher on the day of your appointment.
