Free COVID-19 Testing Site To Open At Marymount University

ARLINGTON, VA — Alingtonians who live close to Marymount University will soon be able to get a free, walk-up COVID-19 test in their area, thanks to a partnership between the private university and Arlington County.

A mobile testing unit operated by Quest Diagnostics will be providing no-cost, no-appointment COVID-19 testing April 19-May 7, in the parking lot near Reinsch Library (2807 N Glebe Road). The unit will be operate Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and will provide tests to the general public and Marymount students, staff, and faculty.

“We’re proud to partner with Marymount University to bring mobile COVID-19 testing to its students, staff and nearby residents,” said Aaron Miller, director of the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management, in a release. “It’s great to partner with a university that has embraced proactive testing from the very beginning of the pandemic, and which today conducts continuous random testing of its community members to keep the University and surrounding areas safe.”

Barry Harte, vice president for Finance & Operations and treasurer at Marymount, applauded the school's partnership with the county.

“We hope all local residents will take this opportunity to come to our campus, get tested and learn about the best safety practices they can use to keep themselves and their families safe," he said, in a release.

The mobile testing facility will provide free nasal tests to anyone 13 and older, regardless of immigration or health insurance status. If participants decide to share their insurance information, Quest will bill their insurance providers and no co-pay will be required.

Although appointments are not required, they can be requested by visiting the Quest Diagnostics website, where people can also find more information about the tests.

Back in October, Marymount reported Arlington's first confirmed outbreak of COVID-19 at a college or university. The initial cases of the disease were identified over the Columbus Day weekend.

COVID-19 Data

No new deaths connected with COVID-19 were reported Friday in the Arlington Health District, making it 10 days since the last new death was reported there, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Arlington stands at 249.

VDH confirmed 32 additional cases of COVID-19 on Friday in Arlington, which is up from the 24 new cases reported on Thursday. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Arlington Health District stands at 14,774.

In date, 821 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Arlington.

The positivity rate of COVID-19 testing in the Arlington Health District remains at the lowest level in months. VDH reported that a total of 251,095 COVID-19 tests have been taken in the Arlington, with a 4.1 percent positivity rate. The last time a positivity rate of 4.1 percent was reported was on Oct. 22.

Arlington's positivity rate has been steadily declining since it peaked at 13.4 percent on Jan. 2. Statewide there have been 8,865,123 COVID-19 tests taken, with a 6.7 percent positivity rate.

As of Friday morning, 125,999 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 48,210 people have been fully vaccinated in the Arlington Health District, according to Virginia Department of Health data. Statewide, 5,105,585 doses of the vaccine have been administered and 2,002,007 people have been fully vaccinated.

More: Where To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine In Arlington

There have been 62 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Arlington Health District. There have been 28 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, 18 in a congregate setting, one at a correctional facility, four in health care settings, six at a child care facilities, one at a college or a university, and four at a K-12 facility. The total number of cases associated with an outbreak is 1,046. There have been 342 reported coronavirus cases in Arlington involving health-care workers.

There have been 643,220 total cases statewide, according to data reported by the Virginia Department of Health. In Virginia, there have been 10,549 coronavirus-related deaths to date. There have been a total of 27,571 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

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Globally, more than 139.3 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 2.9 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday morning. In the United States, more than 31.5 million people have been infected and over 565,000 people have died from COVID-19.

VDH breaks down the number of cases and deaths in Arlington by age, race and ethnicity. The breakdown by age is as follows:

Arlington residents should take the following actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

For more information on coronavirus vaccines in Virginia, see the Virginia Patch COVID-19 vaccination page and link to it: https://patch.com/virginia/across-va/topics/virginia-covid-19-vaccine-information-hub.

Also see ...

• Virginia Tops 2M Fully Vaccinated On Eve Of Expanded Eligibility
• Self-Scheduling COVID-19 Vaccinations Starts Sunday In Virginia
• More Women Vaccinated For COVID-19 Than Men In Virginia
• Arlington Coronavirus Update: No New Deaths Reported For 9 Days
• Virginia Vaccination Rates Highest Among 70s, 80+ Age Groups