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FEMA fulfilling COVID-19 testing request, new sites open in Maricopa County

Posted at 2:56 PM, Feb 03, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-04 13:19:14-05

PHOENIX — FEMA is fulfilling a request by local health officials to help open an additional COVID-19 testing site in Maricopa County.

On Wednesday, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, along with the City of Phoenix and FEMA, opened up a COVID-19 testing location at Ak-Chin Pavilion.

FEMA is being used to help fill staffing contracts at the testing site.

The location will be open seven days a week with hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ABC15 is told that Ak-Chin Pavilion was selected for its location and close to proximity to Interstate 10 and Loop 101.

“Our approach has always been to identify community testing needs and then work to get some type of testing to where it is needed. Right now, with so much need, the best approach is standing up fixed sites for a short amount of time to get more people tested as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for disease control at MCDPH.

In addition to the Ak-Chin site with FEMA, Maricopa County has worked with its vendors to open additional sites offering PCR testing across the Valley in the month of February:

  • Daily at Tolleson Veterans Park in Tolleson
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale
  • Saturdays and Sundays at Mesquite High School in Gilbert

Maricopa County officials said in a press release that the site is free, “Like many other MCDPH testing sites, this site takes people with and without appointments, and allows people to either drive through or walk up for testing.”

Other ongoing testing sites in Maricopa County include:

  • Every Friday in February at Murphy Education Center in south Phoenix
  • Fridays in February (February 4th and 11th) at St. Vincent de Paul School in west Phoenix

Dr. Sunenshine added, “The bottom line is that testing is the only way to know for sure if you have COVID-19 or not, so if you have symptoms like a sore throat, cough, congestion, or runny nose, get tested to know if it’s COVID-19 or something else. We want to make sure it is as easy as possible for everyone in Maricopa County and at hours that are convenient for people working all hours of the day."
Maricopa County has more information on testing and locations online.