MARSHALL — The number of area people in need of COVID-19 tests is growing again, and Avera Marshall will be reopening its drive-through sample collection station in response.
Avera Marshall announced Friday the collection site at the Carlson Street clinic will open on Monday. Sample collection hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
“We are currently seeing an increased number of patients seeking COVID-19 testing. Temporarily offering sample collection outside of our clinic setting will allow more timely access to testing during this peak time and will restore capacity for our walk-in clinic to see patients,” said Bobbi Jo Vandendriessche, vice president of Avera Medical Group.
“We encourage people to be tested if they develop symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, runny nose or body aches. Don’t pass it off as a cold or the flu. Get tested — it could be COVID-19,” Vandendriessche said.
“It’s especially important to stay home if you are sick to prevent spreading illness to others,” she said.
People being tested for COVID-19 don’t need to make an appointment for drive-up sample collection. Individuals are asked to bring a driver’s license and insurance card if possible. Testing turnaround times can vary, but it could likely be around 48 hours, Avera Marshall said.
“If you have symptoms, you should isolate at home until test results are returned,” said Dr. Timothy Mok, urgent care physician with Avera Medical Group Marshall.
“If positive, you should isolate at home for at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms and until you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and your symptoms are improving,”he said.
Mok urged people to call the emergency department or 911 if they have emergency symptoms like having bluish lips or skin, difficulty breathing, or a fever over 104 degrees that doesn’t respond to treatment.
Carol Biren, public health director at Southwest Health and Human Services, said the number of COVID cases in the region has been growing.
“It got a little slow over the summer, and with the new Delta variant, it’s ticking back up,” Biren said.
There are a variety of factors affecting the spread of COVID this fall, Biren said. In addition to there being a new variant of the COVID-19 virus, people are spending more time indoors again, wearing masks less often and having larger celebrations and gatherings.
Biren said the recommendations to help slow the spread of COVID are still the same, including staying home if you are sick, practicing social distancing, wearing masks in public indoor settings, and getting vaccinated. Both Biren and Avera Marshall spokespeople encouraged eligible people to get vaccinated.
“People who are vaccinated are less likely to get COVID, be hospitalized or need ICU care for COVID,” Mok said. “Breakthrough cases are possible — no vaccine prevents an illness 100%. The COVID vaccines are doing a great job of preventing cases, hospitalizations and deaths overall in our population. The majority of COVID-19 cases requiring ICU care are among the unvaccinated, as are deaths from the virus. The more people who get vaccinated, the more cases will be prevented.”
The Minnesota Department of Health reported a total of 2,478 new confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide on Friday, including 13 cases in Lyon County residents. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 3,790 confirmed COVID cases and 54 deaths among Lyon County residents.
The number of COVID cases reported at Minnesota schools is growing this fall, according to the MDH. As of Thursday, data on the MDH website showed a total of 94 schools across the state that had confirmed cases and exposures. The list included Minneota Secondary and Redwood Valley Middle School. The MDH reports schools that had at least five confirmed COVID-19 cases in students or staff during a two-week period.
Other Lyon County schools are also reporting students or staff who have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19. The Marshall, Lakeview, Minneota, Lynd, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and Tracy Area school districts all have COVID dashboards on their websites.
On Friday, Marshall Public Schools’ COVID-19 dashboard said five staff members and 26 students had tested positive for COVID and were quarantining at home. The majority of the active cases, 17, were reported at Marshall Middle School. District-wide, a total of 146 people were quarantining due to close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID. A total of 84 people from MMS were in close contact quarantine, the dashboard said.
As of Thursday, RTR Public Schools was reporting one active positive COVID case, and a total of 10 students in quarantine, according to the district’s online dashboard.
As of Friday, Minneota Public Schools was reporting 14 active positive cases of COVID — four among staff members, eight in elementary students and two in high school students. Tracy Area Public Schools was reporting seven active positive COVID cases among staff and students.
Lakeview Public Schools was reporting eight positive COVID cases among students and two among staff members. Lynd Public School reported it had no active cases as of Friday, but there were 15 people in quarantine.
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September 25, 2021 at 01:00PM
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Avera Marshall reopens drive-up COVID testing as need grows - Marshall Independent
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