Free COVID-19 testing sites open in Cobb, Douglas counties
The Cobb & Douglas Public Health Department is teaming up with a nonprofit organization founded by actor Sean Penn to offer free COVID-19 testing in both counties through the month of August.
The testing will be held in conjunction with Community Organized Relief Effort, an international organization that provides emergency relief to people affected by natural disasters.
This week, testing is available at these locations:
- Wednesday and Thursday, 1-7 p.m.: Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell
- Friday, 1-7 p.m.: Douglasville Town Center, 5989 Stewart Parkway, Douglasville
- Saturday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.: Douglas County Courthouse, 8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville
- Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, 212 Riverside Parkway, Austell
Pre-registration is preferred, and can be completed by visiting www.CDPHcovid19testing.org.
CORE will provide shallow nasal swab testing to anyone who wants to be tested, including symptomatic and asymptomatic people of all ages. No legal documentation is required to be tested and on-site registration will be made available.
Valerie Crow, spokesperson for Cobb & Douglas Public Health, said the agency hopes to offer the pop-up testing throughout August and is aiming to have a set schedule by next week.
District Health Director Dr. Janet Memark said Tuesday that high community transmission of COVID-19 continues in both counties. Dr. Memark said due to the lag in reported numbers, the department is seeing “the impact of deaths on our district.”
“Last month, we lost more lives in both Douglas and Cobb counties than the month before,” she said. “Our hospitals continue to have critically low intensive care beds, with Douglas also having low inpatient beds.”
As of late Monday afternoon, Cobb had 11,981 confirmed cases of COVID-19 while Douglas County reported 2,363 cases, according to health department numbers. Deaths have reached 303 in Cobb and 50 in Douglas. Total hospitalizations reported are 1,320 in Cobb and 297 in Douglas County.
About the Author
Kristal Dixon covers Cobb and DeKalb county schools for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Before joining the AJC, Dixon worked for Patch.com and the Cherokee Tribune in Canton.
