Mar 03, 2022

PPHD: Free COVID tests widely available around Panhandle, more cases reported

Posted Mar 03, 2022 3:41 PM

By Panhandle Public Health District

Free COVID test kits are available at community locations throughout the Panhandle. 

Residents can have as many as their family needs with a limit of six at one time at no charge.

These are important to have on-hand so if you or a family member feels a minor COVID-like symptom, you can quickly test to make a decision about how to keep yourself and others that may be around you healthy and safe.

Once picked up, individuals can perform the test on their own or be helped through a video call. If done through the video call, you will receive a certified lab report that can be used for travel, medical procedures, and other documentation needs.

Here are locations: 

-Alliance Municipal Building, Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
-Banner County Public Schools in Harrisburg
-Bayard Public Library, Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
-Bridgeport Public Library, Tuesday & Thursday 9am-7pm, Wednesday & Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-2pm
-Chadron Public Library, Monday-Thursday 9am-6:45pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm-5pm
-Chappell Memorial Library & Art Gallery, Tuesday & Thursday 12pm-5:30pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
-City of Big Springs, Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30am-1pm, Tuesday & Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm
-Crawford Public Library, Tuesday-Thursday 1pm-6pm, Friday & Saturday 10am-3pm
-Dalton Points West Bank, Monday-Friday 8:30am-4pm
-Farm to Family Cooperative in Hay Springs, Monday-Friday: 7am-7pm, Saturday: 9am-2pm
-Gering Public Library, Monday & Thursday 9am-7pm, Saturday 10am-5pm
-Gordon City Library, Monday-Thursday 11am-5:30pm, Saturday 10am-3pm
-Grant County Library in Hyannis, Wednesday 1pm-5pm, Friday 8am-12pm & 1pm-5pm
-Hemingford Public Library, Tuesday & Wednesday 12pm-6pm, Thursday 9am-12pm, Friday 12pm-5pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
-Kimball Public Library, Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-5:30pm, Tuesday, Thursday 12pm-6pm
-Lyman Library, Monday 3pm-11pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am-12pm, Friday 10am-12pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
-Mitchell Public Library, Monday-Thursday 11am-5:30pm, Friday & Saturday 11am-5pm
-Morrill Public Library, Monday & Thursday 1pm-7pm, Tuesday & Wednesday 1pm-5:30pm, Friday 9am-5:30pm
-Nancy Fawcett Memorial Library in Lodgepole, Monday-Thursday 2pm-6pm
-Oshkosh Public Library, Monday 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Friday 12:30pm-5:30pm
-Rushville Public Library, Monday-Friday 10am-6pm
-Sidney Public Library, Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm
-Sioux County Public Library, Monday 9am-12pm & 1pm-5pm, Tuesday & Wednesday 1pm-5pm, Thursday 3:30pm-6:30pm, Friday 9am-1pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
-Village of Dix, Monday-Friday 8a-12p
-Volunteers of America in Lewellen, Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
-Western Community Health Resources in Alliance, Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm
-Western Community Health Resources in Chadron, Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

In addition to the local test kits available, Panhandle residents can also order four, free at-home COVID tests at COVIDtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Current COVID testing access can also be found at http://pphd.org/COVID-19.html.

Unified Command confirms 41 more cases of COVID in the Panhandle.

March 2, 2020-March 2, 2022

  1. Positive: 19,611
  2. Last week’s cases (cases/100,000): 47.53
  3. Last 7-day cases: 41
  4. Last week’s positivity rate: 4.7%
  5. Deaths: 288
  6. Deaths Pending Verification: 22
  7. Active Hospitalizations: 6
  8. Total Cumulative Hospitalizations: 887

COVID vaccine is widely available across the Panhandle for individuals age 5 and over, there are no out-of-pocket expenses. COVID vaccine for children six months to four years of age will be available in the coming weeks.

Everyone age 12 and older is recommended to get a COVID booster shot at least two months after a 1-dose vaccine, Johnson & Johnson, or at least five months after a 2-dose vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna.

  1. Box Butte/Grant: https://tinyurl.com/25mwaapu | safeway.com
  2. Walk-ins welcome
  3. Dave's Pharmacy Hemingford & Alliance, Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 5:30 PM
  4. Alliance Community Pharmacy, Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM - 6 PM
  5. Cheyenne/Deuel: https://tinyurl.com/5b5uac8p | walmart.com | safeway.com
  6. Walk-ins welcome
  7. Dawes/Sioux: https://tinyurl.com/x5d5nnbn | walmart.com | safeway.com
  8. Walk-ins welcome Western Community Health Resources, Monday-Friday, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Call 308-432-8979 to schedule an appointment outside these hours.
  9. Garden: To schedule an appointment, call (308) 772-3283.
  10. Regional West Garden County Clinic, Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM
  11. Kimball: https://tinyurl.com/d2u8txrs
  12. Walk-ins welcome Kimball Health Services, Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
  13. Morrill: Call to schedule an appointment
  14. Walk-ins welcome
  15. Morrill County Hospital Clinic (Bridgeport), Thursdays, 8 AM - 4:30 PM call 308-262-1755
  16. Chimney Rock Medical Center (Bayard), Tuesdays, 8 AM - 4:30 PM call 308-586-1717
  17. Sheridan: https://tinyurl.com/cvrmkv38
  18. Walk-ins welcome
  19. Gordon Rural Health Clinic, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM and 1 PM - 4 PM
  20. Scotts Bluff/Banner: https://tinyurl.com/hkw7wk2p | walmart.com | safeway.com | walgreens.com
  21. Walk-ins welcome
  22. Gering CAPWN Health Center, Monday-Friday, 9 AM-12 PM & 1 PM-4 PM
  23. Scotts Bluff County Immunization Clinic, 313 W 38th St, Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-5:30 PM
  24. Guadalupe Center 2nd Saturday of each month 8 AM-10 AM

If you are homebound or have a condition that makes it hard for you to access a COVID vaccine, Call Vianey Zitterkopf, RN at 308-430-8390 or Janet Felix, LPN at 308-672-4653. If you have lost your COVID vaccine card, go to https://tinyurl.com/2zh7uhhu.

The Panhandle COVID dashboard is available at www.pphd.org. The state COVID dashboard is available at https://tinyurl.com/ufj9fcuf. For the most up to date information from the CDC, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.