University of Utah Health’s Ashley Cameron, left, and Dakota Silva work together as they test people for COVID-19 during the University of Utah’s Wellness Bus drive-thru testing event at Centennial Park in West Valley City. (PHOTO: File)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The University of Utah Health announced Wednesday it will conduct COVID-19 testing at four separate locations, offering reserved times for in-car tests. Making reservations is not required, the company said, but will help reduce wait times.
Testing sites will be held at the U of U Sugar House, South Jordan, Redwood and Farmington locations.
“We want patients to be able to have a convenient option to schedule ahead of time, so they don’t wait as long,” said Michael Bronson, administrative director of U of U Health Community Clinics, in a statement.
Patients can reserve a time slot online or through their MyChart account. They can also call the U of U Health coronavirus hotline to schedule a testing time.
Patients who schedule for a reserved testing time will be given first priority at the sites, with others working on a first-come, first-served basis.
As a result, there’s no guarantee all Utahns who drive up can get tested — as testing capacity will remain the same, the company said. Every patient requesting a test will need to meet one of the following criteria in order to receive a COVID-19 test:
U of U Health said it would not be testing asymptomatic patients unless they are at high risk of exposure and have been recommended by a local health department. Otherwise, they’ll need an order from a University of Utah Health provider.
“The purpose is to create a better experience for patients,” said Bronson. “Patients can go online and essentially see testing availability from the comfort of their home.”
Patients who get tested at the in-car sites will be required to verify their name and date of birth, before being directed by a health employee on where to go for testing.