UNIVERSITY CENTER – Two new coronavirus testing centers are now open for Bay County residents.
Bay County health director Joel Strasz announced on Thursday, April 9, that Great Lakes Bay Health Center in Bay City is now offering drive-thru testing.
The center is located at 3884 Moniter Rd. Patients are required to bring a paper lab order from their doctor or healthcare provider, with their Quest Diagnostics account number on it.
An additional testing location is offered at McLaren Convenient Care, 4 Columbus Ave. Suite 140 in Bay City. Patients are required to call in advance at 989-383-2850.
Bay County currently stands at 42 positive cases out of 330 tests issued, with two recoveries.
County executive Jim Barcia thanked the county citizens for following social distancing guidelines in spite of the economic consequences.
“We have delayed a deluge of sickness that could easily overcome our healthcare and basic systems,” Barcia said. “[…] We are helping to flatten the curve because we are serious about social distancing.”
With 25 days since Bay County first declared a state of emergency, Barcia also reminded citizens that there is a long road still ahead in the fight against the coronavirus.
“We have to remain diligent and disciplined for the next few weeks,” said Barcia. “We are now bending the curve and we must continue that for the health and safety of our residents.”
The CDC recently issued new guidelines for critical infrastructure workers so that they can return to work. Strasz clarified that “we don’t anticipate anything significantly different” from the current situation, and that non-critical workers should continue to stay at home as much as possible.
Another important word of advice Strasz offered for when going out in public: “Please wear a mask.”
