One of the state's first TestNebraska sites is up and running in Omaha. The site, in Lot D outside the CHI Health Center, opened for the first time yesterday.
People with appointments are eligible for COVID-19 testing at the site, which includes a large white tent where the tests are administered.
The Nebraska National Guard was on site Monday to assist CHI staff, who will be testing roughly 200 people each day through this Saturday.
The state's health department has been consistently calling on the National Gaurd for assistance. This is our seventh team of National Gaurd soldiers and airmen that are supporting this mission. so we’ve been doing this for approximately 30 days now and we’ve provided over 10,000 tests so far to date.
The approximately 10 CHI medical staff working the site, it’s valued experience.
"It’s s new to us,” said Cole Mazurek, with CHI Health.“You know we’ve taken some of our ques from the National Gaurd that have set up these mobile testing sites across the state and have been very successful with it.
The first round of testing is focusing on health care workers and first responders and is by appointment only.
“Those who were selected who signed up on Test Nebraska would have received an email communication that they were selected and given time to show up,” said Mazurek, noting the idea being, the more people that are tested the better off everyone will be.
“In order to understand the community spread pieces as things start to open back up for those people to know if they did test positive, or if they’re negative,” said Mazurek. “It allows them to take the necessary precautions that they need to in the coming days and weeks.”
The tests will be sent to a CHI test lab in Lincoln, where staff will be working around the clock to turnaround results within 48 hours.
(Photo: 6 News)