The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has expanded its free COVID-19 testing in Springfield.
Drive-through tests are available without an appointment Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, January 29, from 10 to 6 in the parking lot south of Hammons Field in downtown Springfield.
Free drive-through testing without an appointment is also available in Joplin Thursdays from 10 to 6 in the north parking lot of the Joseph Newman Innovation Center, 407 Pennsylvania Ave., and in Marshfield Wednesday, January 26, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ellis O. Jackson Building, 614 N. Marshall.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases continue to increase in southwest Missouri.
The director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department Katie Towns told Springfield City Council Monday night the city’s seven-day rolling average of daily cases was 771 on Monday, a new record. She said there continues to be a misconception that the omicron variant isn’t concerning.
"The characteristics of this variant are different than past variants," said Towns. "However, even if omicron causes milder symptoms in some individuals, it still has the potential to lead to severe illness, hospitalization and death."
There were 238 people in Springfield hospitals on Monday, and 61 were in critical care.
Towns urges people to get vaccinated, wear a mask and stay home if you’re sick.
For vaccine information, visit vaccine417.com or call (417) 874-1200.
To find out how to get a COVID-19 test, visit covidtesting417.com.
Towns told city council she’s hoping we’ve reached a plateau in the surge, but she said it’s too soon to say conclusively.