Manchester hosts pop-up COVID-19 testing site

Sunday, Manchester played host to a 6-hour long pop-up COVID-19 testing site in the Riverside Intermediate School parking lot. Many residents took the opportunity to get the free test and although the wait was longer at the very start, most only waiting 5 or 10 minutes, if at all.

According to the Washtenaw County Health Department, a total of 400 tests were performed.

Shanon Beeman, Manchester resident and District 3 County Commissioner, helped make the testing site happen. She stated,“Two weeks ago, Washtenaw County was approached by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services with the possibility of hosting a pop-up COVID-19 testing site in the Manchester area. I jumped at the chance to bring this resource to our community and immediately began suggesting possible testing locations and pulling in partners.”

The County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services worked with the Michigan National Guard. Beeman stated, “The Washtenaw County Health Department staff, including our health officer Jimena Loveluck and medical director Dr. Juan Marquez, were instrumental in the planning and execution of this testing effort. Jimena understood how needed this resource was in our community and she worked tirelessly to bring it here.”

Beeman concluded, “I’m extremely thankful for the National Guard and our dedicated volunteers, we could not have reached these numbers without their support.”

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.