Soldiers are helping Iowa test people for COVID-19 in Davenport.
On Monday, the Iowa Army National Guard, Iowa DOT, and state health department set up a test site at North Park Mall.
Herb Trix has more.
Colonel Mike Wunn says the first step in the process is for residents to take the online, Test Iowa assessment.
Then if warranted, the patient will receive a Q-R code and a referral to get tested at a local test site.
About 20 Iowa National Guard members are working with the other agencies in Davenport to direct traffic and manage the test site.
Sometimes, they also take completed tests to the lab.
The guard has helped at test sites in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Waterloo. Members have also helped with testing health care workers at long term care facilities and employees of meat processing plants.
Wunn says drive through testing doesn't take very long, since the state gives each person a date and time to get tested. The Davenport test site will be open weekedays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. through May 22nd.
Nearly 900 Iowa National Guard soldiers and airmen are working across the state to help respond to the pandemic. Their jobs include distribution of food and supplies. And about 150 are helping at state health department call centers with contact tracing and investigation.
