Anyone working in the fishing and fish processing industry can now get free coronavirus testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and the Oregon Health Authority will be doing the tests in Charleston Wednesday and Thursday from eight o’clock in the morning till five in the afternoon.
The OHA is sponsoring the standard swab testing, so there is no cost to those being tested. According to Coos Health and Wellness, 600-700 tests can be done over the two day period.
The public health emergency manager says this is a group that is vital to the south coast community, food chain, and economy.
“In the fishing industry on the boats and in the processing plants, they are subject to close quarters with each other, said Phillip Nel, the Public Health Emergency Manager at Coos Health and Wellness. There’s not much place especially on the boats so you can’t just social distance.”
The testing will be done in a tent, south of the Sea Basket restaurant, at the corner of Eel Avenue and Guano Rock lane.
If you are part of the fishing and fish processing industry and want to be tested, show up with your ID and any documentation showing you are in one of those working categories.
Specimens will be processed at the state lab. It will take at least a day, if not more, to get the test results.