SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 11, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Department of Health is offering free rapid antigen testing at more locations throughout the state of Utah, officials said Monday.
Sites are chosen based on high positivity rates, lower numbers of tests conducted, untreated wastewater sampling, and other surveillance data, said a news release from UDOH. Some locations will be drive-through while others will be conducted in buildings.
“We encourage everyone to continue to wear masks and social distance while waiting in lines,” the news release said.
Anyone can get tested at these free testing clinics, even if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
“We also encourage anyone who might have any symptoms, even mild ones, to come and get tested,” the news release said. “Please register online here. If you do not register online or are unable to register online, you will be able to register at the site but it will take longer for you to be tested. Identification may be required.”
The sites at which people can be tested can be seen here.
The goal of these testing clinics is to more quickly identify people who are currently infectious with COVID-19, including those who may not even know they are infected because they don’t have symptoms, the news release said. Identifying these people will help slow the spread of infection in the community.
“Rapid antigen tests are less sensitive than PCR tests,” the news release said. “This means PCR tests are better than antigen tests at detecting the virus, particularly when a person has small amounts of virus in their body. If an individual has symptoms and tests negative on the rapid antigen test or an individual doesn’t have symptoms and tests positive on the rapid antigen test, they will be referred for a follow up, confirmation PCR test.”
Your test results will be emailed to you in an encrypted file from 30 minutes to several hours after your test is done. If the testing location is extremely busy, it may take a while to process your results, officials said. If you have trouble opening the email or it doesn’t come within a few hours, call 385-273-7878 for assistance.
