Duluth hosts free saliva testing site

The Minnesota Department of Health opened a pilot saliva testing site on Wednesday at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The testing site will be the first of its kind in Minnesota, offering free saliva tests to any Minnesotan who believes they need to be tested.

The pilot opening will give state and local health officials a chance to see what kind of demand to expect for the additional saliva test sites in coming weeks. The state plans to open as many as nine more sites across the state like the one planned for the DECC.

“The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is an ideal place for this next milestone,” said Dan Huff, MDH assistant commissioner for health protection. “Regional centers across Minnesota are great places many people from more rural areas regularly access. As a population center and home to more than 20,000 college students, opening this site in Duluth will increase access to testing among people who need it.”

The Duluth site will be open five days a week, Wednesday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. While it is open to walk-ins, people are encouraged to register in advance to make an appointment if they’re able, to prevent crowding and long lines.

Those who come for a test should avoid eating, drinking, chewing, or smoking anything for at least 30 minutes before providing a sample. Once at the site, they will self-administer the test by spitting into a funnel attached to a small tube. Clinic staff will be available on site to monitor the collection process and ensure there is enough saliva to be tested.

Testing is free to all Minnesotans who believe they need a test, including those who do not have symptoms. They will be asked about their insurance so the state can bill the insurance company; but the state will cover the cost if a person does not have insurance, or insurance doesn’t cover some or all of the cost.

Results are typically provided by email within 24-48 hours of arriving at the lab in New Jersey for processing.

Vault Health is hiring local staff to work at the testing sites and lead daily operations. For now, the tests will be shipped to a New Jersey lab. The state has promised a local lab soon.

saliva testing lab in Minnesota in mid-October.

When running at full capacity, the new lab will be capable of processing as many as 30,000 samples a day.

“Our strategy for managing the virus continues to be proactive, data-driven, and aggressive,” Huff said. “A higher testing capacity, combined with masking, social distancing, and staying home in isolation when appropriate, is critical to that strategy. Our work to bring saliva testing to Minnesotans is an important supplement to the Covid-19 testing options already offered across the state. Growing and diversifying our testing options is a tool to keep Minnesotans safe.”

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Want a test?

The Covid-19 saliva testing site will be open five days a week, Wednesday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. While it is open to walk-ins, people are encouraged to register in advance and make an appointment at mncovidtestingappt.as.me/schedule.php. Thirty minutes of free parking in the lot outside the testing site is available to anyone who drives to the testing site.

— Pine Knot News