COVID-19 Testing Expands to Anyone Who Wants One Starting Today at State Testing Sites

WITZ RADIO NEWS IS AN AFFILIATE OF NETWORK INDIANA / PHOTO: WIBC

STATEWIDE -- Starting Monday, it'll be easier to get a coronavirus test:

There are 204 testing sites in Indiana, but some of them will only test you if you have virus symptoms or fall into a high-risk group. Until now, that's included the 50 state-organized sites operated by Minnesota-based OptumServe. Starting Monday, those sites will test anyone who wants a test.

State health commissioner Kristina Box says being able to get tested will bring peace of mind to people who have worried about whether they have the virus -- though she cautions that a negative test today doesn't mean you won't catch the virus tomorrow. She says you should conduct yourself around others as if you have the virus: washing your hands frequently, and wearing a mask.

Box says she hasn't been tested herself. She says she has no symptoms and has observed social-distancing rules. She says she's worn masks and other protective gear when she's been around people, including when she assisted in performing tests last weekend on protesters in downtown Indianapolis. But Box says others may decide they want the relative certainty of a test, especially if they're planning to visit someone who's over 60 or has an underlying health condition.

Testing is available in three-quarters of Indiana's 92 counties, including 27 sites in Marion County.

For a full list of testing sites, CLICK HERE.