A new COVID-19 testing site will be opening this weekend at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. The site is being operated in partnership with the Snohomish Health District, Washington State Department of Health and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Testing is a critical part of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and we are thrilled to see this partnership come together to support people who need tests in the Snohomish County area,” said Washington State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah.

The site will open on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with ongoing operations from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Appointments are now available through Jan. 25, with additional days to be added on a rolling basis. Registration is strongly encouraged and can be done online at www.ineedacovid19test.com and clicking on Washington.

“We are grateful to our federal, state, and local partners for ensuring these much-needed resources will be available to help Snohomish County’s residents,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “Over the last two years of the pandemic, we have learned that we are more nimble, more resilient, and stronger when we work together. We will continue to strategize surge capacity of testing and vaccination when the pandemic requires.”

With nearly 12,000 new cases reported last week, Snohomish County has surpassed the 100,000 mark since the first case was identified two years ago today. The recent surge has maxed out testing capacity, with most pharmacies and healthcare providers booking days and weeks out.

“This site will be able to do 1,000 tests per day, which brings much needed capacity for our community,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, health officer for the Snohomish Health District. “We know this will help ease the crunch being felt by people in need who have been having a hard time finding testing during the omicron surge.”

For Snohomish County residents with limited or no internet access, the Health District’s call center at 425-339-5278 is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays (closed weekends and holidays). Staff can help people register for testing appointments if any are available. If testing is full, additional testing resources are listed at www.snohd.org/549/Additional-Testing-Resources.