JACKSON, Wyo. — There is an extreme amount of COVID circulating in the community and the testing capacity in Teton County is overwhelmed, according to a recent release by the Teton County Health Department.
Currently, three Curative testing sites in the county conduct self-collected PCR tests. Kiosks are located at Teton County Library, Stilson Lot/Village Road Transit Center and Kmart/Target Plaza next to Subway.
The Library and Stilson Lot locations conduct RT-qPCR tests with results typically within 1-2 days after arrival at the lab. Individuals who are asymptomatic, recently exposed but with no symptoms, traveling or testing for administrative purposes should test at the Library or Stilson locations or use a Vault test.
Vault tests are free for individuals with a Wyoming address and are available online. Tests are shipped directly to doorsteps. Vault tests can also be picked up at the Teton County Health Department at 460 E Pearl Ave.
The Kmart/Target location conducts rapid PCR testing with results typically within 1-2 hours. Currently, the location is unavailable for appointments through the Curative site.
Rachael Wheeler, public health response coordinator at Teton County Health Department said this is due to Curative removing the location based on availability. The testing site is still open and conducting tests for individuals with appointments but is booked far in advance. The location will reappear on the site once more appointments are available.
Wheeler said, “We are urging the community to preserve rapid tests for community members who are sick and need to know their test results quickly to avoid spreading the virus.”
According to data from The Health Department, between Jan.3 and Jan. 9, 2,944 total Curative tests were collected in Teton County. 1,140 Rapid PCR tests were conducted at the Kmart/Target Plaza location, 1,065 tests were conducted at the Library and 789 tests were collected at Stilson. 453 Vault tests connected to the Health Departments’ account were also collected. This figure does not reflect Vault tests sent directly to individuals through the Vault website. As of Jan. 11, 17.45% of tests were positive.
If you test positive, isolate, and trust your test results, stated The Health Department. The likelihood of a false-positive test result is extremely low. Do not add stress to the testing system to confirm results. Isolation and quarantine recommendations can be found here.
Testing is also available through St. John’s Health at St. John’s Urgent Care at Smith’s Plaza and St. John’s Urgent Care at the TJ Maxx Plaza. Due to high demand and a shortage of supplies, St. John’s is only providing rapid tests for symptomatic individuals. Testing is not free. More info is available here.
