Sugar Hill Church offering free COVID-19, antibody tests for 3 days

Sugar Hill will hold two public hearings on the proposed 2020 budget. (Courtesy City of Sugar Hill)

Sugar Hill will hold two public hearings on the proposed 2020 budget. (Courtesy City of Sugar Hill)

Update (July 1): The tests at Sugar Hill Church are only available to uninsured individuals.

Update (June 29): A spokesman said Monday morning the free testing would be postponed. The testing will now occur Tuesday, June 30 to Thursday, July 2. Additional testing dates are anticipated later in July, Brandon Stallings said.

Sugar Hill Church will be offering hundreds of free COVID-19 tests and antibody tests to the public next week.

The church has partnered with the COVID Consortium, a group of labs and medical professionals working to expand testing availability, for the three-day event from Tuesday, June 30 to Thursday, July 2.  Both tests for the COVID-19 virus and tests to determine whether a person has COVID-19 antibodies, indicating they have already had the disease and may have some degree of immunity, will be free to any uninsured individuals who need them, according to a press release.

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Testing will be done in the church’s parking lot in a drive-thru style, similar to permanent testing sites across the metro Atlanta area. This minimizes contact between healthcare workers administering the tests and people who are potentially sick.

Appointments can be made online but are not necessary for testing; unlike many sites run by local health departments, the Sugar Hill Church testing event will also accept drive-ups. Results will be available within 24 hours and can be delivered via phone, email or physical mail.

Sugar Hill Church is located at 5091 Nelson Brogdon Boulevard in Sugar Hill.