Drive-through testing returns next week in Yellowknife

Drive-through Covid-19 testing in Yellowknife will resume from Tuesday, September 8, the Department of Health and Social Services says.

The large tent near 47 Street behind the Yellowknife Primary Care Centre, a prominent reminder of the pandemic’s presence from late March until May, has returned.

Residents looking to get tested, or who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, can visit the drive-through centre from 8:30am to 4pm each weekday once it reopens.

David Maguire, a spokesperson for the territorial government, said the reintroduced service may be expanded to weekends if demand is high enough.

“This provides a quick and easy option to get a Covid-19 test … that reduces contact and maximizes use of resources, to ensure we can efficiently provide testing to residents,” said Maguire by email.

Maguire said the service is being brought back because the territory thinks demand for testing could rise as residents return to the NWT for the fall and head back to work or school, meaning more exposure to other people.

The drive-through tests were a popular option at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Maguire added.

However, it closed on May 11 as the number of tests being requested had dipped.