Spokane County’s mobile coronavirus testing clinic will be closed for the next three days while health officials prepare it for a new operator.
Health Officer Bob Lutz says, beginning Monday, members of the Washington Air National Guard will man the station and take samples from customers who drive up.
That’s a change from last week when the health district announced it would be closing the station. Providence wanted to reassign the staff members who had worked there.
“Unfortunately, I don’t necessarily have the staff to put into those sites. It would need to be a collaboration with another health care provider as we have benefited from having the Washington National Guard out at the Fairgrounds taking over that work. That’s a great resource for us," he said.
Lutz says the health district is developing plans to open a second mobile testing clinic. This would be located outside a Rockwood Clinic that’s currently closed in Airway Heights.
“What they would do is they would set up an outdoor, drive-through clinic, the same way we have at the Fairgrounds. That kind of facility," he said.
Lutz says Rockwood would provide the personnel. The health district would provide the testing materials. No word yet on when that might open.