North Shenandoah News

Loudoun County issued the following announcement on Jan. 28

Loudoun County has scheduled COVID-19 testing events Tuesday, February 1, and Friday, February 4, 2022, at Claude Moore Park, 46150 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling. Testing is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., but may begin early to mitigate traffic impacts and may close early if capacity is reached.

The testing events are free and open to all. There are no age or residency requirements. No prescriptions or appointments are necessary. A person does not have to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested. A PCR test (nasal swab) will be administered, which tests for the novel coronavirus. No antibody or rapid tests will be offered. No COVID-19 vaccine will be available at these events.

Registration Form

The required registration form may be filled out and submitted online. 

• Register online (English) | Español

The forms should be filled out and submitted online prior to the test. For anyone who cannot submit the forms online, paper forms will also be available at the testing site. 

Submitting the form in advance is not an appointment or a guarantee for a test. Given current demand, the site may close when it reaches capacity. 

The form is required and asks for general information including name, date of birth, address, phone number. The information is kept private. 

When to Get Tested

Public health officials encourage anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who thinks they may have been exposed to COVID-19 to get tested as well as anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and a new loss of taste or smell. Learn more about COVID-19 testing on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. 

Other Testing Options

In addition to the COVID-19 testing events hosted by Loudoun County, there are other testing locations and providers in Loudoun and the region. Visit the Virginia Department of Health’s COVID-19 testing webpage to find locations near you, including appointment-based community testing centers in Fairfax and Prince William counties. 

Also, every household on the United States is eligible to order four, free at-home COVID-19 tests through a federal government website: covidtests.gov. The tests are scheduled to start shipping in late January. 

COVID-19 Vaccine

The Loudoun County Health Department encourages everyone age 5 and older who is not fully vaccinated to get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. In addition, anyone who is eligible is encouraged to get a booster dose. Vaccine is widely available from many providers in Loudoun, such as medical offices and pharmacies including, but not limited to, CVS, Giant Food, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Walgreens, Walmart and Wegmans. These locations have the benefit of being able to also provide flu vaccine at the same time, which is recommended by the Health Department. Visit vaccines.gov to find the vaccination site nearest to you. 

Walk-in service is now available at the county’s vaccination site located at the Dulles Town Center. Appointments also are available. To learn more, visit loudoun.gov/covid19vaccine.

Protect Yourself and Others

In addition to vaccination, to help curb the increase in COVID-19 cases that Loudoun County has been experiencing and to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant or other new COVID-19 variants, the Health Department recommends everyone:

• Wear a mask in indoor public settings.
• Stay 6 feet away from people who do not live in your household.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Stay home when sick.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and remember to get tested if you’re symptomatic, or if potentially exposed to COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status. 

Learn more about protecting yourself and your family on the Virginia Department of Health website.

Stay Informed 

The county expects to continue offering weekly testing opportunities through February. Information about future testing events will be posted at loudoun.gov/covid19testing.

To be notified regarding changes in COVID-19 testing site operations, opt in to receive text message updates in English (text LCCOVID19 to 888777) or Spanish (text LCCOVIDESP to 888777), or check the Loudoun County Government Facebook page or @LoudounCoGovt on Twitter.

More Information 

Anyone with questions about COVID-19, including the upcoming testing events, may call the Loudoun County Health Department’s information line Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., at 703-737-8300; or send an email anytime to the Health Department. 

For additional information about COVID-19 and to sign up for COVID-19 text and email updates from Loudoun County, visit loudoun.gov/coronavirus.

Original source can be found here.