A free, drive-thru, non-invasive COVID-19 testing event is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Community Life Center, 19820 Scriber Lake Road in Lynnwood.

The Verdant Health Commission and Medical Teams International are coordinating this event, with support from Northwest Church, Volunteers of America Western Washington, and Lynnwood Police. Hygiene supplies will be available for the first 100 cars served.

No pre-registration is needed; however, there will be approximately 200 tests available. While this event is open to anyone in the community, the goal is to ensure access for residents with barriers to testing, including frontline workers who can’t easily get tested Monday-Friday.

Testing will begin at 1 p.m., and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Depending on the turnout and length of line, the line may be closed prior to 5 p.m. to ensure everyone waiting can be tested.

This is a drive-thru event, but for community members without access to a vehicle, there will be limited walk-up appointments available. For the safety of patients and staff, no more than 10 people will be able to be in line for walk-up at a time.

Community Life Center will have traffic flowing one-way through the church parking lot, with vehicles entering from the north driveway along Scriber Lake Road and exiting from the south driveway. Uniformed police officers will be present to direct traffic. See map for details.

In the parking lot, signage will be posted to indicate wait times for participants in the vehicle line up. Vehicles will not be allowed to line up on Scriber Lake Road if the parking lot is full.

Reminder before testing

This testing event is intended to reduce barriers to testing, including symptom checks, insurance requirements, and access for people with transportation challenges.

• It is possible to have COVID-19 and not be symptomatic, which could result in unintentionally spreading the virus to others, so these events do not require symptom checks.
• This event is free to everyone, regardless of insurance coverage. If you have insurance, please bring your insurance card, as providing that information will preserve grant funds to cover the costs for those without insurance.
• While this is a drive-thru event, walk-ups will be served to support people traveling by bus or foot.

What to expect during testing

Medical Teams staff will register each person from their vehicle. For infection control purposes, clients will not touch the registration paperwork. Please bring your ID and health insurance cards if you have insurance.

Tests are sent to the University of Washington and results can easily be accessed online with a code that is provided at the testing site. Test results are available two to five days after the test, however results may be available in as soon as 24-48 hours.

The testing method used is anterior nasal swabbing, resulting in less discomfort than other methods. About 1 cm of the swab is inserted into one nostril at a time and rotated for about 10 seconds. The test is safe for anyone age 2 and older.

To learn more about this event, contact Jennifer Piplic, director of marketing and communication at Verdant: jennifer.piplic@verdanthealth.org or 425-582-8600.