GREAT FALLS — Alluvion Health will be opening a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic in Great Falls next week.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Alluvion partnered with Cascade County to open a stand-alone clinic where people with respiratory symptoms could be tested for COVID-19 on a walk-in basis. Governor Steve Bullock on Wednesday set a target for Montana to provide 60,000 tests per month, and as a result, Alluvion Health will be opening a drive through COVID-19 testing clinic in Great Falls.
Beginning, Monday, May 4th at 10 am, people can be tested for COVID-19 from the convenience of their vehicles after completing the screening process. The process includes a call to Alluvion Health’s special number at 406-791-7929 and a telehealth visit with a provider to determine appropriateness for a COVID-19 test.
The drive-through will be in the parking lot of the former Westgate Mall with marked entrances and exits.
Drive-through clinic hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and by appointment only. Appointments are available on a first-come first-served basis by calling 406-791-7929.
The test is a COVID-19 PCR test supervised by a trained medical professional and results should be available in one to five days. All insurance is accepted, and no person will be denied testing or treatment by Alluvion due to inability to pay. In addition, COVID-19 test charges that are not covered by insurance will not be the patient’s responsibility.
- What: COVID-19 Drive through testing clinic
- Who: Open to the public - must call 406-791-7929 for screening and appointment
- When: 10am-6pm – Monday through Friday
- Where: Former Westgate Mall located on 3rd Street Northwest – entrance, exits and drive through instructions are posted via signage at the location
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call Alluvion Health at 406-791-7929.
As of Wednesday morning (April 29), there have been a total of 451 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Montana, with no new cases reported since Tuesday. One new death was reported; the person was a Yellowstone County resident. The Yellowstone City-County Health Department in Billings said in a news release: "The man, in his 70s, died in a Yellowstone County hospital." No other details have been released.
- There have been a total of 382 recovered patients to date. The number of recoveries by county has not been released at this point.
- There have been 16 deaths in Montana to date. There have been six deaths in Toole County, two in Cascade County, two in Flathead County, two in Yellowstone County, and one each in Lincoln County, Madison County, Missoula County, and Gallatin County.
- There have now been 61 hospitalizations to date of COVID-19 patients in Montana; 5 of those are "active (current) hospitalizations."
- The DPHHS public health lab has completed 13,528 tests for COVID-19, including 337 tests since Tuesday's update.
- Click here to see the current total of confirmed and active cases by county
PHASED RE-OPENING: Governor Steve Bullock announced last Wednesday a three-phase plan to "re-open" Montana, as closures and restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 will be gradually The "stay at home order" expired on Sunday, April 26, for individuals and Monday, April 27, for businesses. Retail businesses can become operational beginning on April 27 if they can adhere to requirements to limit capacity and maintain strict physical distancing.
- Restaurants, bars, breweries, and distilleries can begin providing some in-establishment services beginning May 4. Click here for more details.
- Businesses where groups gather without the ability to social distance including movie theaters, gyms, and other places of assembly remain closed.
- Places of worship were allowed to re-open on Sunday, April 26 in a manner consistent with social distancing between people who are not members of the same household.
The above is just a brief summary of key points; click here for more details of the "Re-opening The Big Sky" plan.