Spokane’s CHAS Health is expanding its rules that govern to whom it will provide rapid Covid testing.
Jason Campbell from CHAS says the organization has been testing certain people with Covid symptoms. They include health care workers, first responders and people who live in congregate care facilities. Now, he says it will provide rapid tests for students and faculty in the K-12 school system who show Covid symptoms.
“Really, that’s an effort to support our community by ensuring kids can either get back to school or stay in school as quickly as possible and parents and teachers can get back to work as quickly as possible," Campbell said.
The new criteria also include preschool children and others who know they’ve been exposed to the virus.
Campbell says several CHAS clinics in Spokane, Deer Park and Cheney will test people from the school system, as well as its two urgent care centers in the valley and north Spokane. He says patients won’t pay the charge for the test; CHAS will bill patients’ insurance.
For now, Campbell says, the agency won’t provide rapid testing to people who have no coronavirus symptoms. He says it does offer non-rapid testing to people in that category.