Seattle Announces New Coronavirus Testing Kiosks
SEATTLE — Starting in early December, Seattleites will have access to two new kiosks that will allow for free, self-administered coronavirus tests with results within 48 hours, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Friday.
Durkan said the pilot program will help counter growing demand at the city's four existing facilities, which already perform up to 6,000 tests per day. The first two kiosks will serve North Seattle and Central Seattle, boosting daily testing capacity by at least 1,000, according to the mayor's office. Within a few weeks, the city hopes to add kiosks at five more locations.
"Across the region, state, and nation, we are facing the third wave of the pandemic," Durkan said. "Seattle has led the way through innovative testing, and our Seattle Fire Department is leading our free citywide testing efforts and reaching record levels of testing over the past week. With a surging virus, we must surge our testing capacity."
The kiosks, provided through a partnership with Curative, provide an oral swab, instead of a nasal swab used at most testing sites, and results typically will be available by text or e-mail within 24 to 48 hours. Visitors will not be charged or receive a bill, regardless of insurance status, officials said.
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