A free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site will be offered in Pearl River County on May 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Pearl River County Health Department in Carriere, according to the UMMC website.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or who has a known or potential exposure to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 can receive the free testing. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat.

To get tested, people must go through a free screening process and make an appointment. The C Spire Health smartphone app is the fastest way to get screened and is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Anyone without a smartphone can call 601-496-7200 to get screened.
Screening

A clinician from the University of Mississippi Medical Center will ask questions to determine the person’s risk of having COVID-19.

People at high risk of having the virus receive appointments for drive-thru testing and people not at high risk may be given instructions for at-home self care.

Testing

Those with an appointment can get tested at the Pearl River County Health Department, 7547 U.S. 11, Carriere on May 28. No one has to exit their vehicle at the drive-thru test sites.

The COVID-19 test is similar to a flu test. Health providers in protective gear come to the car window and insert a naso-pharyngeal swab deep into the nasal cavity of the person receiving the test.

UMMC contacts people with their test results. Those who get tested are advised to self-isolate while waiting for results for at least seven days from when their symptoms began or three days after symptoms improve significantly—whichever time is longer.

The drive-thru sites are coordinated by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Mississippi National Guard, UMMC and the Mississippi State Department of Health.
UMMC and C Spire collaborated to make screening for the test free.

Other drive-thru test sites

Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is also being offered daily at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson; on Saturday in Hinds County at Byram Middle School, 2009 Byram Bulldog Boulevard, Byram; on Saturday in Leake County at Standing Pine Facility Building, 416 Arrowhead Road, Walnut Grove; on May 25 in Madison County at Madison Central High School, 1417 Highland Colony Parkway, Madison; on May 26 in Itawamba County at Itawamba Community College Cypress Pavilion, 602 West Hill Street, Fulton; on May 27 in Tallahatchie County at West Tallahatchie High School, 2104 High School Road, Webb; on May 28 in Oktibbeha County, Oktibbeha County Safe Room, 985 Lynn Lane, Starkville.