Bowen Center Health Clinic COVID Testing Continues Increase
Posted
Staff Report-
The number of COVID-19 tests given at the Bowen Center Health Clinic have increased each week since it opened Oct. 15.
Week one was just three days, Thursday through Saturday, and there were 328 tested, according to information provided by the Bowen Center. Week two was five days, Tuesday through Saturday, with 738 tested and 7% of those were Hispanic. Week two was the first week the clinic started tracking the number of those tested who identified as Hispanic.
In week three, Tuesday through Saturday, 1,034 were tested with 10% Hispanic.
Due to the high demand, a sixth day of testing was added during week four, which was Monday through Saturday. Thirteen percent of the 1,400 tested were Hispanic.
According to the information from Bowen, “The majority of our COVID-19 testing site staff are bilingual and bicultural. We have been intentional about reaching the Hispanic population because they have limited access to medical services, and they are a minority population that is at high risk for COVID-19. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and the Kosciusko County Health Department leadership requested that Bowen Center reach out to the Hispanic population when we opened the testing site and the Indiana State Health Department was very supportive of that initiative.”
The Hispanic population in Kosciusko County is 7.88%.
Bowen Center opened a free COVID-19 testing site on Oct. 15 in Warsaw. Partnering with the Indiana Department of Health and the Kosciusko County Health Department, with assistance from the Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition, Ivy Tech Community College – Warsaw, Kosciusko Community Hospital and WJ Carey Construction, the site is open for testing to anyone age 2 and older.
Those visiting the drive-up site for testing do not need a doctor’s referral or health insurance. Individuals should be tested if they have symptoms, have been exposed to someone who tested positive, are at high risk or need to be tested as a work requirement.
The drive-up testing site is in the parking lot at 2219 E. Dubois Drive, Warsaw. A person does not need to be a Kosciusko County resident to receive a free test. No appointment is required, and results will be sent by email or text within three to five days. Technicians at the site are bilingual.
Testing hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bowen Center will operate the free COVID-19 testing site through the end of June 2021. For testing questions, call the KCHD at 574-372-3517 or 574-372-2353.
