AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Austin health leaders look to continue expanding COVID-19 testing options for those who are uninsured or without a car, two new Austin Public Health testing sites will come online Monday in neighborhoods seeing higher numbers of COVID-19 cases — Rundberg and Dove Springs.
These two new testing sites are for residents of those neighborhoods and specifically for those who are uninsured and may not be able to access a test elsewhere. Due to recently increased demand for testing, both Austin Public Health and CommUnityCare have asked those who have insurance to get testing through their doctor, local clinic, or insurance company so that the APH and CommUnityCare sites will be available to those without insurance.
Those who would like to get tested at the new neighborhood sites are asked to take a screening, which can be done either online or by phone at the Austin Public Health nursing hotline at 512-972-5560.
These neighborhood sites will accept people who walk up without an appointment, but walk-ups are not guaranteed an appointment on the same day.
Austin Public Health says it has contracted with Houston-based company imaware to help with the testing at these neighborhood sites.
People living in these areas are encouraged to drive to neighborhood test sites, but they will not be turned away if they walk, bike, or ride the bus to the testing site.
Council Member Greg Casar, whose district includes the Rundberg neighborhood, spoke about the types of residents who will be served by these new testing sites.
“Those are communities of color, are working class places, the neighborhoods that have most of our essential workers,” Casar said. “Opening up those testing facilities for walk-ups will provide way more access and protection for the essential workers.”
He pointed to the increasing demand on local test sites and the exceedingly long lines at Austin CommUnityCare testing sites as evidence the area is in need of more testing options for people who do not have insurance or do not have a vehicle.
“We’ve been fighting and struggling to be able to get walk-up testing sites like these,” Casar said, noting that the national supply chain challenges with COVID-19 testing and the increasing burden on labs have made this work increasingly difficult for the City of Austin.
“This is one small step in the right direction,” Casar said of these new neighborhood sites.
According to Austin’s COVID-19 dashboard as of July 4, the 78744 zip code which contains the Dove Springs area had 853 cases. The Rundberg area crosses both the 78758 zip code which has 675 cases and the 78753 zip code which has 859 cases. All of these zip codes rank highly in comparison with the highest total number of case counts in the Austin area.
“Those high numbers in certain zip codes, this one specifically in the 78744, we’ve been working with Public Health to make sure we are addressing that in the best way possible,” said Delia Garza, whose district includes the 78744 zip code and the Dove Springs neighborhood.
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