North Central District Health Department will be hosting two additional mass testing events in partnership with the Nebraska National Guard. Testing will take place Tuesday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Neligh at the Antelope County Fairgrounds, and Wednesday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Valentine, at the Valentine Elementary School parking lot.

These events are an effort by NCDHD to offer greater testing capacity to the communities in the nine counties we serve.

Testing priorities will be given to anyone that falls in these categories:

· Having symptoms of COVID-19: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing, sore throat, runny nose, loss of taste or of smell, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or other symptoms

· Healthcare worker

· Public Safety/First Responder (EMS, Law Enforcement, Firefighter)

· Resident at a group home (nursing home, homeless shelter, daycare)

· Had direct or close contact with a patient with COVID 19 in the last 14 days

· Traveled outside of Nebraska in the last 14 days

· Traveled around inside Nebraska to places with outbreaks, such as Lexington, Grand Island, Norfolk, Dakota County, Sioux City, Yankton, etc.

· 65 years or older or have serious underlying conditions

· Work in retail, hospitality, or food service, such as grocery store, convenience store, restaurant, hotel, etc.

· Work in other high-risk exposure settings: meat processing plant, large manufacturer, over the road trucking, etc.

Testing opportunity will be open to the public to sign up with 150 tests scheduled to be collected at the event in Neligh and 125 tests in Valentine. Walk-ups to the testing sites will not be accepted. If anyone in the district is interested in participating in either of the events, district residents are asked to please sign up using the following links specific to the event they will be able to attend:

Neligh Sign up: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BDRTLW8

Valentine Sign up: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PMBG2FW

Important information about the events:

Time slots for testing are in 30 min increments, persons being tested are expected to arrive at the beginning of the half-hour time slot that they signed up for and wait for your turn. This is not an appointment. It is first-come, first-serve for the appointed half-hour. Anticipate some wait time.

You will remain in your vehicle.

There is no cost for the test.

You will not be required to self-quarantine or isolate until results come in unless you have symptoms.

If you are unsure that you will be able to make the appointed time, DO NOT sign up. If you sign up, it is expected you will arrive to get tested.

If for some reason, you are not able to make it at your assigned time, please call us at 402-336-2406 as soon as possible.

NCDHD will follow up with individuals who participated in the testing with results and address any potential positive results on next steps. NCDHD would like to note that these events are not part of the Test Nebraska initiative recently announced by Gov. Ricketts. If there are additional questions about the events, please call our office M-F between 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM at 402-336-2406.