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COVID-19 testing site at Metz Elementary to close on Thursday

Austin Public Health said the decision to close the site was made because COVID-19 testing and vaccines are "now widely available in the region."

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Public Health will close its COVID-19 testing site at Metz Elementary on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The health department said the decision to close the site was made because COVID-19 testing and vaccines are “now widely available in the region.”

“In March 2020, APH quickly redirected staff and laboratory resources to prioritize testing once laboratory testing supplies became readily available to the public,” APH said in a release on Wednesday. “The emergency response was necessary to fill a testing void created by the rapid transmission of the virus and limited testing capabilities and supplies within the community.”

In February, APH consolidated multiple testing sites to the Metz Elementary campus to meet changing demands. It said in the event of a surge, it can stand up a testing site with a contracted vendor to support demand within the community.

"Since the pandemic began, APH staff stepped up and worked tirelessly in extreme weather to place community needs above their own, and to ensure everyone had a place to go for COVID-19 testing," said APH Director Adrienne Sturrup. "Now, there are retailers, clinics and pharmacies in the area that can provide this testing service, or reliable rapid home test kits. I am extremely proud of our staff for the remarkable service they provided to our communities at a time of great need. COVID-19 is still a significant threat to our communities and anyone with symptoms should be tested for the virus so they can avoid spreading it to others."

Since the pandemic began, APH has mobilized 12 COVID-19 testing sites, collected 200,836 COVID-19 PCR tests and distributed 52,473 COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits among 79 organizations and 5,104 households.

APH Neighborhood Services still has free COVID-19 rapid test kits available while supplies last at the following locations:

Those looking for information regarding testing options can call the APH hotline at 512-972-5560.

APH continues to operate free COVID-19 and flu pop-up vaccine clinics in Austin-Travis County. Visit Vaccines.gov (Vacunas.gov in Spanish) to find flu and COVID-19 vaccine providers near you.

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