Free Covid testing kiosk opens at Central Library near Quincy Park

A free Covid testing kiosk opened Monday at Central Library near Quincy Park.

Arlington County sponsors the new kiosk that Curative operates daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 3809 10th Street N., the southwest corner of the park near the tennis courts.

No symptoms or doctor referral is required but the county says you must make an appointment through the Curative website as the company works through lab backlogs. Staff at the site on Monday said they were allowing walk-ups, however.

Patients administer their own COVID-19 nasal swab test under the supervision of a Curative worker and receive results in 48 to 72 hours.

Parking is available at the library and park’s surface lots or the Central Library parking garage after 10 a.m.

Arlington is opening an additional no-cost COVID-19 testing kiosk at Central Library by Quincy Park. The kiosk is in partnership with @Curative, which operates three additional sites in the County.https://t.co/0n70DNwASR pic.twitter.com/5b1JEg3B8N

— Arlington County (@ArlingtonVA) January 10, 2022

In addition to a testing site at Marymount University that opened this week, Curative already operates three Arlington County-sponsored sites at:

• Arlington Mill Community Center parking lot (909 S. Dinwiddie St.), which is closed due to an electric issue that requires the delivery of a new kiosk
• Courthouse Plaza parking lot (2088 15th St. N.; corner of 15th St. N. & N. Courthouse Rd.)
• Virginia Highlands Park parking lot (1600 S. Hayes St.)

The Curative kiosks are administering an average of 8,500 PCR tests a week, up from an average of about 2,900 tests per week at the end of November/start of December, said Arlington County Community Engagement and Resilience Manager Tania Bougebrayel Cohn. Each kiosk can administer about 400 PCR tests a day.

There have been numerous closures of the Curative sites over the past couple of weeks — due to test and staffing shortages — but the county is working quickly to open additional testing sites to meet community demand as staff and supply chain-related shortages continue to affect the kiosks, she said.

“Demand for COVID-19 testing is at an all-time high. By adding an additional testing site, located in a densely populated Metro corridor, we hope to help meet that demand and remove barriers to testing access for all Arlingtonians,” said Dr. Aaron Miller, Director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management.

The full announcement from Arlington County is below.

Additional COVID-19 Testing Kiosk Opens at Central Library
Published on January 10, 2022

Arlington County is opening an additional no-cost COVID-19 testing kiosk at Central Library by Quincy Park. The kiosk is in partnership with Curative, which operates three additional sites in the County.

The kiosk is located at 3809 10th Street N. and can be found in the southwest corner of Quincy Park near the tennis courts. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily beginning on Monday, January 10, 2022. Parking is available at nearby Central Library and Quincy Park surface lots or at the Central Library parking garage after 10 AM (entrance on N. Quincy Street. Appointments are temporarily required while Curative works through lab backlogs and can be made at curative.com.

“Demand for COVID-19 testing is at an all-time high. By adding an additional testing site, located in a densely populated metro corridor, we hope to help meet that demand and remove barriers to testing access for all Arlingtonians,” said Dr. Aaron Miller, Director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management.

Details

• Nasal swab tests are offered at no cost and do not require a doctor referral or government identification, regardless of insurance or immigration status.
• Testing is available to all ages and proof of Arlington residency is not required. Participants are welcome to provide insurance information if applicable, but no co-pay from participants will be requested.
  Due to recent high demand, community members are temporarily required to make an appointment on the Curative website in advance (curative.com).
• Kiosk service is available in English and Spanish.

Curative, which operates more than 8,000 testing sites across the country, uses a test that is self-administered under the supervision of a Curative worker in a kiosk. The swab is then placed inside a biohazard bag and returned to the Curative worker. Swabs from the Arlington kiosks will be delivered each night to a lab in Washington, D.C. Test results will be sent electronically to patients within 48 to 72 hours. Visit Curative’s website for Common Q&As and Advice.

For COVID-19 related questions or for information on additional COVID-19 testing locations, including other County kiosks as well as private testing locations, visit the County website or call 703-228-7999.

Matt Blitz contributed to this report.