Free COVID-19 Testing Now Available at Shilo Baptist Church

John Bobel

July 9, 2020

Mayor Linda Gorton today announced the next location for the City’s Mobile Neighborhood Testing program for COVID-19 – the East End of downtown.

The free drive-up or walk-up testing program offers increased access to testing in areas where there have been a disproportionate increase in cases.

Starting this Thursday, Bluewater Diagnostic Laboratory will provide free tests at Shiloh Baptist Church, in the City’s east end. There is no cost to the patient. Health insurance information may be requested, but is not required to receive testing. No appointment is necessary. Tests are available to anyone.

“Thanks to our collaboration with Bluewater Diagnostic Laboratory, we are able to bring the Mobile Neighborhood Testing Program to several areas of our City. These testing locations will allow both walk-up and drive-up testing, at no cost to the community,” Gorton said. Bluewater can process up to 1,000 tests a day.

“As we’ve seen, African-American and Hispanic residents in Lexington continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Lexington,” said Lexington-Fayette County Commissioner of Health Dr. Kraig Humbaugh. “Testing at Shiloh Baptist Church helps make testing more available to these communities by being more convenient to where they live and work.”

The testing would not be possible without the assistance of Shiloh Baptist Church. “We are honored to serve as a host location in the East End for COVID-19 testing,” Pastor Dr. Joseph Owens said.

Testing at Shiloh, 237 East Fifth St., will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, July 16; 2-8 p.m. on Friday, July 17; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 18. Face masks and hand sanitizer will be provided to those being tested. On-site translation services will be available.

Drive-thru testing is also available seven days a week at the Walgreen’s testing location at 2296 Executive Drive (the corner of Winchester Road and Executive Drive). Tests will continue until they run out of test kits. Online registration is recommended, but not required, at walgreens.com/coronavirus.

In addition, drive-thru testing is available, through July, at the Kroger Health testing site at Bluegrass Community & Technical College Newtown Campus. The testing entrance is located off Loudon Avenue near the intersection with Newtown Pike. Testing is available by appointment, which can be secured by visiting thelittleclinic.com/drivethru-testing. Appointments are available Tuesday through Friday.

Bluewater Diagnostic Laboratory has been recognized by the state of Kentucky for expanding the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity. Based in Mount Washington, KY, they are committed to be an industry leader in cutting-edge instrumentation and testing methodologies.